On July 3, the same day that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country breached the 40,000-mark, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the controversial Anti-Terror Bill into a law without much regard to the clamor of people for further dialogue and to veto the bill.
The promise to pass a new Heal As One Law II to alleviate the suffering Filipino people due to the pandemic has been overshadowed when President Duterte declared Anti-Terrorism Bill as a priority bill, finally sealing it with his signature. A very misplaced priority indeed.
As we call for systematic, efficient, and humane solutions to the health, social and economic crisis due to the pandemic, the nation was instead “gifted” with this bill, which we see as intending to control and manage the mounting complaints and dissent of people for the government’s failure to address the problems of the poorest and the majority of Filipinos specially during the pandemic.
We see that this law will subvert our fundamental rights and liberties, paving the way for a much worse situation than the Martial Law period. The dark days of Philippine history will come to haunt us all over again with this legal measure. It will be like the Damocles sword hanging above us, ready to fall and chop our heads off.
PMPI will push for the repeal of the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020” and will join other groups to question its constitutionality. As part of a broader civil society movement that advocates for upholding our bill of rights as contained in the fundamental laws of the land, as well as laws protecting the rights of the vulnerable groups, we oppose this measure because of its vagueness and over-broadness which can be used to suppress criticism, dissent and therefore plain and simple, our activism.
We, the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI), reiterates our condemnation to the signing of this Act. We believe that this law will further assault whatever democracy is left in the country. A democracy which has been slowly eroded by this President and his minions in Congress since their assumption to power. This is an attack to our failing democracy. Almost a final nail to the coffin.
Thus, even as we foresee that our work to journey and support the struggle of our partner communities affected by mining, peasant and fisherfolk communities, the urban poor communities, and even our work to defend the environment, can be easily red-tagged or branded as acts of terrorism, we shall not waver at our commitments.
We will not be fooled by false posturing of peace, compassion, and care for people nor be intimidated by violent and threatening language. We will not submit to fear. We will continue to fight for the rights of people and the environment specially in this crucial time.
We are anxious and enraged. We are worried but not cowed.
Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc.
7 July 2020
