 It is declared a policy of the State to protect life, liberty, and property from

terrorism, to condemn terrorism as inimical and dangerous to the national

security of the country and to the welfare of the people, and to make
terrorism a crime against the Filipino people, against humanity, and against
The Law of Nations.
 The State recognizes that the fight against terrorism requires a
comprehensive approach, comprising political, economic, diplomatic,
military, and legal means duly taking into account the root causes of
terrorism without. Acknowledging these as justifications for terrorist and/or
criminal activities.
 The Anti-Terrorism Bill of 2020 was passed by the Senate to “prevent and
stop” terrorist attacks in the country by directly targeting individuals who are
profiled to be most likely to join considered terrorist groups or perform such
acts.
 The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is the most recent effort to address the issue
of terrorism and all allied activities, while at the same time ensuring the
protection of our civil and political rights.
 According to the 2020 Global Terrorism Index, the Philippines is within the
top ten countries most impacted by terrorism. Terrorism deaths in the
Philippines declined for the second consecutive year in 2019, to 284 deaths.
Terror-related incidents also decreased by 18 per cent from 424 in 2018 to
348 in 2019.
 Despite a slight reduction in terrorist activity, the Philippines remains the
only Southeast Asian country to be ranked in the ten countries most
impacted by terrorism. The communist New People’s Army (NPA) was the
most active terrorist organization in the Philippines. The NPA was
responsible for over 35 per cent of deaths and 38 per cent of terror-related
incidents in 2019, at 98 and 132 respectively.
 In general, after terrorist acts, people suffer from post – traumatic stress
disorders, anxiety and major depression. Additionally, survivors of terrorist
attacks are more vulnerable to substance abuse issues and psychosomatic
symptoms after an attack.
 Terrorism deaths in the Philippines declined for the second consecutive year
in 2019, to 284 deaths. Terror-related incidents also decreased by 18 per cent
from 424 in 2018 to 348 in 2019.
 Despite a slight reduction in terrorist activity, the Philippines remains the
only Southeast Asian country to be ranked in the ten countries most
impacted by terrorism.
 Terrors are difficult to know and to discover since they are attacking in their
own way that the government would not know and by that time an epic
proportion will happen and it would affect a lot of citizens.
 In 2019, we had the first Filipino homegrown suicide bomber that detonated
a suicide bomb in the Philippines.
 The ATA has extended this period to fourteen (14) days which can be
further extended to ten (10) days after satisfying the requisites of the law.
According to Senator Panfilo Lacson, the primary author of the law, this
period was necessary to give law enforcement ample time to “build and
strengthen its case” as the previous 36-hour detention period was not enough
to substantiate the charges as it was admitted that one of the factors which
contributed to the HSA’s futility was the difficulty in gathering evidence that
the crime was committed. This longer period also means a significant
amount of time to prevent these suspected perpetrators from “planning or
engaging in further attacks and, if possible, to obtain from them information
for use in future military, intelligence or law enforcement operations”.
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