NUPL Statement
The Anti-Terrorism Bill Erodes Human Rights, Institutionalizes Impunity
01 June 2020
#JunkTerrorBil
The Anti-Terrorism Bill Erodes Human Rights, Institutionalizes Impunity
01 June 2020
#JunkTerrorBil
The bill, should it become law, will only serve to worsen the climate of impunity that has made the Philippines fertile ground for extra-judicial killings, illegal arrests, and crackdowns against activists and progressive organizations and even ordinary citizens. #JunkTerrorBill
As such, there is an urgent need to stop the passage of this bill at the earliest opportunity. The dangers it poses are incalculable, and the risks are too great for people to turn a blind eye under the misguided assumption that their own freedoms would not be affected.
The arguments for the passage of this bill – posed by the Duterte Administration, its allies in Congress, and defense officials at large – all boil down to trusting them with the awesome power the law would bring as a means to combat the threat of terrorism.
#JunkTerrorBill
#JunkTerrorBill
Yet, candidly, without a shadow of doubt, this administration is not even remotely worthy of that trust. #JunkTerrorBill
Recent events have shown that the greater threat comes from a government ignorant, even outright dismissive, of the constitutional limits of its own authority and the importance and value of the rights and liberties of its people. #JunkTerrorBill
It is, therefore, imperative that attempts to pass the Anti-Terrorism Bill be fervently resisted.. to protect everyone who wishes to speak freely about matters of public concern without fear of punishment, without someone looking over our shoulder or stalking us. #JunkTerrorBill
