MANILA, Philippines — A lawyer has reminded Senator Panfilo Lacson that other people could also read and understand legal documents after the lawmaker claimed that United Nations (UN) officials have criticized the Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB) without reading it first. Earlier, Lacson — a staunch supporter of the Anti-Terror Bill (ATB) — said that the UN is contradicting itself by asking President Rodrigo Duterte to junk the proposed measure. “So, is this the United Nations going up against the United Nations? The problem with the critics of the Anti-Terrorism Bill like the UN High Commissioner (for) Human Rights and the others is that they criticize without even reading the bill itself,” he said. Lacson and other supporters of the bill like Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana have insisted though that there are safeguards to prevent abuse of human rights.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 02, 2020 12:56 UTC