Presidential aspirant Leody De Guzman on Wednesday expressed his opposition to the country's Anti-Terror Law, saying that it legalizes violations against human rights.
"Hindi ako kuntento diyan. Saka ako'y tutol, tutol ako diyan. Dahil talagang klarong-klarong nagagamit, nagiging tungtungan para labagin yung karaptatang pantao," he said in the Bakit Ikaw: The Presidential Job Interview.
(I am not contented with it. Also, I am against it. Because it is clear that it is being used, becomes a basis to violate human rights.)
"Ang layo na ng inabot ng ating lipunan sa paggalang sa karapatang pantao. Wag na nating ibalik sa barbarismo ng panahon nung una," he added.
(Society has come so far in respecting human rights. Let us not return to barbarism back in the day.)
De Guzman pointed out that the law's provision of arresting suspects of 24 days without charge is a clear violation of basic human rights.
On dealing with armed terrorists
According to De Guzman, the country has enough laws and policies to deal with armed terrorists, which is why it previous measures to deal with them should suffice.
"Meron namang klarong batas at patakaran diyan, pag nagkita 'yang mga 'yan nagbabarilan na kaagad 'yang mga 'yan kaya hindi na natin proproblemahin yan," he said.
(We already have clear laws and policies there. In fact, when they see each other they immediately fire against each other that’s why we don’t need to worry about it.)
"Sapat na 'yung engagement na ginagawa dati. Hindi na nga inaaresto yan eh … kaya hindi na natin pa [kailangang] gawing legal ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng ating mga mamamayan."
(The engagement that we’ve done in the past is enough. They don’t even get arrested … so let us not legalize the act of violating the human rights of Filipinos.)
