President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said the government takes a wholistic approach in fighting insurgency and terrorism in the country.

The House of Representatives, in a special session yesterday, approved the anti-terrorism bill passed by the bicameral committee, Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg. Occ., 3rd district) said.

The Senate approved the bill before it went on recess Feb. 8. All the bill needs to become a law in Arroyo's signature.

"We fight insurgency in a wholistic way--the right hand is the steel hand while the left hand is through reconciliation to make life better," the President said in answer to a query posed by a local journalist during a two-on-one interview after she inaugurated the P140-million Oriental Negros Convention Center in Dumaguete City.

The President explained that the anti-terrorism bill is "just one ingredient of the whole (approach against terrorism and insurgency)."

She said that with the passage by Congress of the Anti-Terrorism bill, the fight against terror would have more teeth, as once it is signed into law, then there would now be a crime called "terrorism" and a criminal called "terrorist."

"Before, a bomber could only be charged with illegal possession of arms and could go out on bail and start bombing again. Now, with the anti-terrorism bill passed, our fight against terrorism would have more teeth," she said.*

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