Bayan: Anti-terror law final ingredient for state terror
03/06/2007 | 04:01 PM
Malacañang's signing of the anti-terrorism bill will complete its so-called recipe for state terror, the leftist umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said Tuesday.
Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr said the ingredients for martial or emergency rule are complete, now that President Arroyo signed into law Republic Act (RA) 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007.
"The building blocks of Martial Law are here. Widespread political killings, the militarization of Metro Manila, and now a law that can violate people's right to privacy, movement, security of person and political affiliation." Reyes said.
He maintained that the definition of the crime of terrorism remains vague and will cover even those groups engaged in legitimate forms of dissent.
"Who will prevent the Arroyo administration from using this law to drive legal activists under ground? Can the administration give a guarantee that this won't happen?" he said.
Besides, he said, no matter what kind of assurance the administration gives, "the fact remains that it cannot be trusted to wield more power."
"It has a dismal human rights record. It can't even punish its own generals. Now it wants to give itself more powers to suppress the people," Reyes said.
Bayan and party-list groups Anakpawis and Gabriela earlier said they will ask the Supreme Court to nullify the anti-terror law as soon as President Arroyo signs the measure.
Anti-Arroyo activists held an "emergency" picket rally Tuesday at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila.
For her part, Bayan chair Carol Araullo scored Mrs Arroyo for allegedly remaining deaf to calls from civil society groups and instead following the dictates of the United States.
"The anti-terror law is the legal extension of the US war on terror, a discredited and much-hated policy of the Bush regime. In a time when the whole world is reviewing and rethinking anti-terrorism legislation, the Philippines continues to cling to the US terror war," she said.
Recently, the Canadian parliament repealed some provisions of its anti-terrorism law, she said. Among the repealed provisions is the detention of suspects for three days without charges.
Araullo said this same provision can be found in Section 19 of the Philippines' Human Security Act of 2007.
Among the most contentious provisions are surveillance, wiretapping and government authority to look into bank accounts of terror suspects.
Meanwhile, the left-leaning Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) on Tuesday warned that the Anti-Terrorism Law will inevitably fail in eradicating terrorist threats such as the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.
"The new Anti-Terrrorism Act ... is simply toothless in rooting out the real masters of terrorism in our midst. Worse, it will only abet state-sponsored terrorism and covert action subversive of the Constitution, the rule of law and freedom," said CAP spokesperson Joel Garduce. - GMANews.TV
Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr said the ingredients for martial or emergency rule are complete, now that President Arroyo signed into law Republic Act (RA) 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007.
"The building blocks of Martial Law are here. Widespread political killings, the militarization of Metro Manila, and now a law that can violate people's right to privacy, movement, security of person and political affiliation." Reyes said.
He maintained that the definition of the crime of terrorism remains vague and will cover even those groups engaged in legitimate forms of dissent.
"Who will prevent the Arroyo administration from using this law to drive legal activists under ground? Can the administration give a guarantee that this won't happen?" he said.
Besides, he said, no matter what kind of assurance the administration gives, "the fact remains that it cannot be trusted to wield more power."
"It has a dismal human rights record. It can't even punish its own generals. Now it wants to give itself more powers to suppress the people," Reyes said.
Bayan and party-list groups Anakpawis and Gabriela earlier said they will ask the Supreme Court to nullify the anti-terror law as soon as President Arroyo signs the measure.
Anti-Arroyo activists held an "emergency" picket rally Tuesday at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila.
For her part, Bayan chair Carol Araullo scored Mrs Arroyo for allegedly remaining deaf to calls from civil society groups and instead following the dictates of the United States.
"The anti-terror law is the legal extension of the US war on terror, a discredited and much-hated policy of the Bush regime. In a time when the whole world is reviewing and rethinking anti-terrorism legislation, the Philippines continues to cling to the US terror war," she said.
Recently, the Canadian parliament repealed some provisions of its anti-terrorism law, she said. Among the repealed provisions is the detention of suspects for three days without charges.
Araullo said this same provision can be found in Section 19 of the Philippines' Human Security Act of 2007.
Among the most contentious provisions are surveillance, wiretapping and government authority to look into bank accounts of terror suspects.
Meanwhile, the left-leaning Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) on Tuesday warned that the Anti-Terrorism Law will inevitably fail in eradicating terrorist threats such as the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.
"The new Anti-Terrrorism Act ... is simply toothless in rooting out the real masters of terrorism in our midst. Worse, it will only abet state-sponsored terrorism and covert action subversive of the Constitution, the rule of law and freedom," said CAP spokesperson Joel Garduce. - GMANews.TV
