02/07/2025
TODAY IN HISTORY
The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 3, 2020, aimed to strengthen the Philippines’ legal and operational framework to prevent and combat terrorism. While controversial, the law brought notable positive outcomes, especially when paired with FPRRD's Whole-of-Nation Approach to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).
✅ 1. Strengthened Counterterrorism Capabilities
* The law gave law enforcement and military authorities clearer legal tools to surveil, arrest, and prosecute individuals involved in terrorism.
* It also criminalized recruitment, training, financing, and incitement related to terrorism, helping curb the spread of extremist ideologies.
✅ 2. Support for the Whole-of-Nation Approach
The Whole-of-Nation Approach was introduced under Executive Order No. 70 (EO 70) in 2018, which institutionalized a "whole-of-government and whole-of-society" strategy to end communist armed conflict. The Anti-Terrorism Law complemented this by:
* Allowing security forces to disrupt terrorist and extremist-linked groups that were exploiting local grievances, especially in rural areas.
* Supporting the activities of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)through legal enforcement.
* Enabling community-level interventions such as reintegration programs for former rebels, development projects in conflict areas, and public safety measures.
✅ 3. Foiled Terror Plots and Arrests
* With enhanced surveillance powers (with court approval), several planned attacks were prevented.
* Example: Law enforcement foiled attempted su***de bombings in Mindanao by foreign and local extremists.
* Intelligence operations improved, leading to the arrest of key terrorist operatives and the seizure of weapons and explosives.
✅ 4. Better Coordination Across Government Agencies
* The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) became more empowered to designate terrorist individuals and organizations.
The law supported inter-agency cooperation, including the military, police, intelligence units, and local government units (LGUs).
Through this collaboration, local peace and order councils became more active in preventing radicalization and responding to threats.
✅ 5. Alignment with International Standards
* The law brought the Philippines’ anti-terror legislation in line with international counterterrorism frameworks.
* This helped avoid gray-listing by global bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which monitors money laundering and terror financing.
