Proponents and supporters of the Anti-Terror Bill say "if you're not a terrorist, you have nothing to fear." A recent report on the Philippines by the UN Human Rights Office shows why this is a flimsy argument. In two words: persistent impunity. 1/6
The political climate & track record of law enforcement is a major reason why many are fearful. OHCHR: "The vilification of dissent and attacks against perceived critics are being increasingly institutionalized and normalized in ways that will be very difficult to reverse.” 2/6
On law enforcement: "Police raids on private households were routinely carried out without warrants, and post-operational spot reports examined by the Office indicated that evidence may have been falsified." 3/6
On red-tagging: "labelling individuals or groups as communists or terrorists has posed a serious threat to civil society and freedom of expression. The report notes how in some cases those who have been red-tagged were subsequently killed." 4/6
On justice, the OHCHR says witnesses, family members, journalists and lawyers interviewed expressed fears over their safety and a sense of powerlessness in the search for justice. “The practical obstacles to accessing justice within the country are almost insurmountable.” 5/6
While I'm sure that no one would say that they support terrorism, the aforementioned problems and the inadequate protection against potential abuse lies at the heart of distrust in this Bill. At the minimum, why railroad such a contentious a proposal? 6/6
Link to UN Human Rights Office statement here: ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/…
