Terror law meant to protect innocent — Gonzales

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales reiterated here today that Republic Act No. 9372, otherwise known as the Human Security Act, is meant to protect the rights of the innocent against terrorism and not to stifle leftist organizations or even the opposition

In a media briefing with Defense Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor this afternoon at the Pryce Plaza Hotel here, Gonzales said the signing of the new law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is timely considering that the world is confronted today by a new kind of terrorists “who seem to enjoy seeing innocents murdered using weapons of mass destruction.”

“These are the individuals we are after. I don’t think we should encourage our opposition or our political organizations to think that they will be lumped with these kind of personalities,” he said.

“This law is intended for terrorists. If you are not a terrorist, this law is meant to protect you,” he added.

Gonzales is here to attend an out-of-town Cabinet Security Cluster meeting and the Mindanao Peace and Security Summit which no less than President Arroyo will grace this evening to receive the output of the two-day event.

The President arrived in this so-called city of Golden Friendship at 2:30 p.m. from Butuan City and went straight to the Pryce Hotel.

Blancaflor assured the public that the new law has enough safeguards, saying that in the last two years, no law has been placed under so much scrutiny as the HSA wherein all issues have been debated upon exhaustively in Congress.

He pointed out that there are 22 provisions, including penalties against possible abuse by government enforcers as compared to the only four provisions against terrorists.

Gonzales said they are targeting July 15 as the effectivity of the HSA.