President Arroyo vows to step up anti-terrorist campaign with new tough law

MANILA (AP) - The president warned terrorists Friday her government will "wrestle them to the ground" with a much criticized anti-terror law she said will be used to defeat "an ideology of evil."

The legislation, which took effect Sunday, provides the legal muscle to track down and prosecute "those who kill, bomb and maim to enforce an ideology of evil," President Gloria Arroyo said in a speech.

Left-wing activists and other critics have questioned the law at the Supreme Court, saying its broad definition of terrorism could turn one of Southeast Asia's liveliest democracies into a police state.

Arroyo said the government "will protect the political rights of any person who wishes to participate in our democracy however we might disagree in philosophy and approach."

"If you are armed and kill innocent civilians, you will be tracked down and prosecuted," she said in a ceremony formally launching the Human Security Act. She vowed to hunt down communist and Muslim rebels and rogue police and soldiers.