Nagpasiya na tayong hindi bumoto sa expulsion ni Congressman Arnolfo Teves dahil hindi tayo sang-ayon sa isa sa mga ginamit na basehan ng Committee of Ethics sa rekomendasyon nito laban sa mambabatas.

This was the statement of Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman and Deputy Minority Leader after the Ethics Committee recommended the decision against Rep Teves.

“Naniniwala ako na ang mga krimeng ibinibintang kay Ginoong Teves, gaano man kasama at karumaldumal, ay kayang parusahan sa ilalim ng Revised Penal Code. And to define them as terrorism might be expanding the specific intent and wording of the law on terrorism,” Hataman said.

According to Section 4 of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, any of the acts listed therein as “terrorism” should be “to intimidate the general public or a segment thereof, create an atmosphere or spread a message of fear, to provoke or influence by intimidation the government or any international organization, or seriously destabilize or destroy the fundamental political, economic, or social structures of the country, or create a public emergency or seriously undermine public safety.”

Malinaw na dapat ang objectives ng terrorism ay magdulot ng takot sa mga tao, i-provoke o pabagsakin ang gobyerno o magdulot ng public emergency to undermine public safety. All of these are not present in the cases filed against Teves, said Hataman.

“It is my firm belief that that basis should have been stricken off the committee report, “ Hataman ended.