SOLICITOR General Joe Calida on Thursday defended the legality of implementing the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) even without the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The official medium remains to be the print Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation. Second, the complete publication of the ATA is the only condition sine qua non before it can take effect. Calida also said that the Supreme Court has spoken through its decisions that “laws are not contingent on the implementing rules”. “To claim that the law is ineffective until implementing rules are promulgated creates an absurd situation where an agency can delay the effectivity of the law by delaying promulgation of its rules.

Source: Manila Times July 23, 2020 10:30 UTC