For such a time as this
A statement of One Faith. One Nation. One Voice. on the proposed Anti-Terrorism Law
For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14, NRSV)
Queen Esther knew she had encountered a time for daring courage. Her people were under imminent threat of destruction.
With the Anti-Terrorism Bill speeding toward becoming a law, we, Church leaders must speak out and vehemently oppose its passage on the following grounds:
1. An overly broad and amorphous usage of the term terrorism, which will surely be utilized by state forces for attacks on dissent and
curtailment of human rights and civil liberties.
2. A weakening of the judicial system and the constitutionally enshrined function to check-and-balance the actions of other branches of government, including state forces under the executive branch.
3. Allowances for surveillance, wire-tapping, and invasion of privacy of any individual on mere suspicion of being an alleged terrorist, even without any evidence of wrongdoing.
4. Warrantless arrests and detention of persons for a period of fourteen days without charges.
5. A removal of financial penalties to be awarded to persons detained under false pretense as well as other safeguards against abuse by police officers and soldiers, thus increasing the likelihood of gross impunity for misconduct by state forces.
We believe that the Anti-Terrorism Bill will insidiously strip away respect for human rights and other civil liberties. A thriving democracy upholds freedom of speech, the rights to assembly and association, the right to expression of beliefs, and other inalienable rights of our people.
Church people have sought to model right conduct and democratic discourse, even as we have also endured insults, false testimonies, and malicious bullying from the current dispensation in these last four years. We have expressed alarm over the recycled military men, who have occupied many high-level posts in the national government. We have expressed our criticisms on the curtailment of civil liberties, the attacks on legitimate voices of dissent, the failures in upholding Philippine sovereignty and interests, and the widespread killings and human rights violations that have gripped this country. Now we have continued to speak out against the warrantless arrests of thousands under a noxious use of Article 151 of the Revise Penal Code “Resistance and Disobedience to Persons of Authority or their Agents,” during more than two months under ‘lockdown.’
With the passage of the Anti-Terror Bill looming, we are like Queen Esther who is compelled to step forward and expose the sinister plot to destroy her people. This bill will cause a further shrinking of democratic space and weakening of public discourse that will be detrimental to our nation. Likely to be misused and abused by those who wish to “lord it over” the Filipino people, obliterate opposition, and quell even the most legitimate dissent, the Anti-Terrorism Bill is ominous with features that reek of the dark days of the Marcos martial law. The militarists have the ear and possibly the heart of the legislature.
We are speaking, even as we recognize that to do so is dangerous. For such a time as this, to remain silent only assures the impending destruction and abuse of our people.#
Signed:
Most Rev. Broderick S. Pabillo, D.D., Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Manila
Most Rev. Gerardo A. Alminaza, D.D., Bishop of San Carlos & Co-convenor of Church people & Workers Solidarity
Bishop Reuel Norman Marigza, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in the Philippines
Most Revd. Rhee M. Timbang, Obispo Maximo, Iglesia Filipina Independiente
Bishop Emergencio Padillo, United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Bishop Joel Porlares, Ecumenical Bishops Forum
Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC, Provincial Superior, De La Salle Brothers in East Asia
Dr. Marita Wasan, Past President Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas
Dr. Edita Burgos, D.Ed. Co-convenor, Ecumenical Voice for Human Rights and Peace
Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB
Sr. Rosalind Tanhueco, OSB Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation
Sr. Mary Jane Caspillo, MMS Coordinator for Mission Medical Mission Sisters Unit Philippines
Sr. Rowena Pineda, MMS, Chairperson Sisters Association of Mindanao (SAMIN)
Sr. Ma. Lisa Ruedas, DC, Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation
Fr. Rolly de Leon, Promotion of Church People’s Response
Fr. Noel Gatchalian, SVD
Rev. Marie Sol Villalon, Program Manager Human Trafficking & Migrant Ministry, United Methodist Church
Ms. Jenny Ferariza-Meneses, Co- Coordinator, Association of Women in Theology
Deaconess Rubylin Litao, Rise Up for Life and for Rights
Ms. Jean Mae C. Arguta, General Secretary , Kalipunan ng Kristianong Kabataan (3KP), and many more...
National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) Statement, 01 June 2020
Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties (CLCL) Press Statement, 02 June 2020
Dutae's Anti-Terror Bill is now a foregone conclusion. He doesn't even have to sign the bill into law. He just needs to sit on his ass for 30 days and the bill automatically becomes a law. It is another public distraction, another attempt to change the conversation, another ruse to divert the attention of the people from the ineptitude and corruption of Dutae and his cronies at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Far worse, it's another frightening sledgehammer in Dutae's growing arsenal to completely and absolutely quash any opposition and dissent.
The entire Christian Church community is against the Anti-Terror Bill, except perhaps for Mike Velarde of El Shaddai, which is a Catholic cult. Definitely one of the "confidently ignorant" sectors of our society and therefore doesn't count.
The entire business community is against the Anti-Terror Bill, except perhaps for Dennis Uy (among other business cronies of Dutae), who are assuredly raking it in with sweetheart government contracts, behest loans in-the-making, among other corrupt scams at the expense of taxpayers and/or consumers.
A bunch of lawyers are against the Anti-Terror Bill. I can't say the entire legal community because most of them have evolved into glamorized bagmen or bagwomen funneling massive (and I mean enormously massive) amounts of bribes to all branches and all levels of government, which is today a major component of the criminal underground economy that is the bread and butter of Dutae et al.
Mga traydor at tangengot ng ating lehislatura
At this time when the whole world is held hostage by the coronavirus pandemic, waiting for a vaccine that may or may not be available by next year, the single most important matter the government ought to be focusing and concentrating our (taxpayer) resources (especially the P275 billion emergency funds provided in the Bayanihan Act alluded to by Jody Santa Maria above) is on TARGETED MASS TESTING (and the corresponding contact tracing and targeted quarantining), so we have useful and actionable information to contain the pandemic while we try to jump-start the economy and resume with our lives as normal as possible--at least until such time a vaccine is available and administered to the general population. Yet, our hard-earned taxes are being dissipated on all sorts of useless palliative Dutae initiatives that merely create opportunities for more government corruption in our greatest time of need.
The fact is, the people's rejection of the Anti-Terror Bill highlights a far more fundamental issue than Dutae's ineptitude, corruption and perverted priorities. Today, more than ever, there is an underlying and unspoken sentiment that most Filipinos, including those who were stupid enough to vote for Dutae (which seems like a lifetime ago given the nearly absolute destruction of our government and democratic institutions, our national pride and dignity, and even our most fundamental sense of decency since Dutae's stint at Malacañang), are much too afraid to utter.
The entire Philippine government under Dutae cannot be trusted to do the right thing on all-fronts and at every level of governance, which he has transformed and continues to pervert for the sole and exclusive benefit of Dutae, his Coalition of Plunderers (aka Magnanakaw Inc.) and Emperor Xi Jinping.
Dutae et al cannot be trusted on the P275 billion emergency funds for the coronavirus pandemic. The government has passed the buck on the already much-delayed testing in the country to the private sector. In other words, Dutae screws-up and then shifts the responsibility and the expense of targeted mass testing to the private sector to fix the problem--in essence, a "do nothing" herd immunity approach to the pandemic. Dutae has given the marching orders to the private sector to get the economy going but left to their own devices to address the pandemic, while he goes through the motions of "protecting" the people as he pockets the P275 billion emergency funds. It's just like his runaway intelligence budget at an all time record-high in the entire history of the Philippines of P8.28 billion in 2020, which pays for whatever he wants, including prostitutes he cannot screw because of his erectile dysfunction and thousands of trolls to spread lies, misinformation, fake news, propaganda, shift the blame, change the conversation, etc. without any accountability to taxpayers. The P275 billion emergency funds just raises the level of corruption and lines the pockets of Dutae et al exponentially.
Dutae et al cannot be trusted on the "New Normal" or "Better Normal" Bill, which has diabolical implications of "postponing" the next presidential elections in 2022. It doesn't take a genius to decipher a political maneuver straight out of the Marcos playbook.
Pero hindi makikinig si Dutae sa simbahan, sa mga mangangalakal at industriya na nagpapatakbo ng ating ekonomiya, sa mga mamamayang may pang-unawa. Mas urgent daw yung Anti-Terror Bill.
Surely, there is a special place in hell for Dutae et al. Laway-na-laway na si Satanas sa dami at kalibre ng masahol na kaluluwang mapipitas niya sa panahon ni Dutae.
DUTAE CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
THE SENATE CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
THE LOWER HOUSE CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
THE SUPREME COURT CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
The entire Philippine government under Dutae cannot be trusted to do the right thing on all-fronts and at every level of governance, which he has transformed and continues to pervert for the sole and exclusive benefit of Dutae, his Coalition of Plunderers (aka Magnanakaw Inc.) and Emperor Xi Jinping.
Dutae et al cannot be trusted on the P275 billion emergency funds for the coronavirus pandemic. The government has passed the buck on the already much-delayed testing in the country to the private sector. In other words, Dutae screws-up and then shifts the responsibility and the expense of targeted mass testing to the private sector to fix the problem--in essence, a "do nothing" herd immunity approach to the pandemic. Dutae has given the marching orders to the private sector to get the economy going but left to their own devices to address the pandemic, while he goes through the motions of "protecting" the people as he pockets the P275 billion emergency funds. It's just like his runaway intelligence budget at an all time record-high in the entire history of the Philippines of P8.28 billion in 2020, which pays for whatever he wants, including prostitutes he cannot screw because of his erectile dysfunction and thousands of trolls to spread lies, misinformation, fake news, propaganda, shift the blame, change the conversation, etc. without any accountability to taxpayers. The P275 billion emergency funds just raises the level of corruption and lines the pockets of Dutae et al exponentially.
Dutae et al cannot be trusted on the "New Normal" or "Better Normal" Bill, which has diabolical implications of "postponing" the next presidential elections in 2022. It doesn't take a genius to decipher a political maneuver straight out of the Marcos playbook.
Dutae et al cannot be trusted with any form of amendment to the Philippine Constitution, much less his cockamamie push for Federalism, which is currently being resuscitated through an online campaign during the thick of the pandemic.
Since the day he assumed office in Malacañang, he has consistently proven himself to be the stooge, whore and bitch of the Coalition of Plunderers (aka Magnanakaw Inc.) and Xi Jinping. At our time of weakness during this debilitating pandemic, Dutae et al are doubling-down and fully exploiting the situation to further consolidate and concentrate power to completely and absolutely oppress the Filipino people. Anti-Terror Bill, Better Normal Bill, Federalism . . . all designed to enslave the Filipino and keep Dutae et al in power indefinitely.
DUTAE ET AL CANNOT BE TRUSTED--PERIOD.
Since the day he assumed office in Malacañang, he has consistently proven himself to be the stooge, whore and bitch of the Coalition of Plunderers (aka Magnanakaw Inc.) and Xi Jinping. At our time of weakness during this debilitating pandemic, Dutae et al are doubling-down and fully exploiting the situation to further consolidate and concentrate power to completely and absolutely oppress the Filipino people. Anti-Terror Bill, Better Normal Bill, Federalism . . . all designed to enslave the Filipino and keep Dutae et al in power indefinitely.
In the meantime (even in the absence of the Anti-Terror Law), Dutae's lackey's in Congress continue to drag their feet on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN and the local courts press-on with the bogus cases against Maria Ressa of Rappler, who was named a "Person of the Year in 2018" by Time magazine and who just recently delivered the commencement speech at Princeton University (2020), a similar distinction to her commencement speech at Columbia University last year (2019).
Why do such distinguished globally respected institutions (academic and otherwise) have such a high regard for Maria Ressa? Conversely, why are Dutae et al treating her like shit for being a beacon of transparency, accountability, good governance and press freedom?
On June 5, 2020, in a clear act of overkill in the guise of protecting the public during the pandemic, cops arrest eight (8) individuals peacefully protesting the Anti-Terror Bill at the UP Campus in Cebu. Hindi pa batas ang Anti-Terror Bill, ganyan na umasta ang polis ng Cebu. Watch the video, which is just a prelude to more Dutae abuse and oppression in the days and years to come. In essence, it's Martial Law all over again so that Dutae et al can remain in power indefinitely.
Sounds familiar, right? Something similar happened over the course of twenty plus (20+) years during the Marcos Dictatorship. We, the people, were fed-up and, while it took us years to muster the courage and get organized, we finally toppled and ousted the Marcos Dictatorship in 1986 through a peaceful and uniquely Filipino phenomenon, known all over the world as "People Power." That was thirty-four (34) years ago, when I was proudest to be a Filipino. Unlike today, when we are once again cowering in fear like helpless surfs in the medieval ages, terrorized by Dutae et al and the entire government system under their complete and absolute control.
With plenty of help and guidance from the Marcos family, Dutae et al managed to recreate the Marcos Dictatorship shortly after Dutae took over Malacañang in 2016. We have been experiencing the "fruits" of this diabolical government revamp at an alarming rate of frequency and intensity since Dutae assumed the office of the presidency. The Anti-Terror Law will be another significant feather in Dutae's cap as he continues to institutionalize ever increasing draconian measures, policies and laws until the Filipino is completely subjugated and enslaved--where the state becomes a punitive entity of taxation that feeds the rapacious appetite of the Coalition of Plunderers (aka Magnanakaw Inc.), among other political dynasties in the country. Dutae et al's machinations are nearly in full bloom and will be poised to frustrate the next national elections in 2022 (i.e., massive vote buying and cheating, outright cancellation of elections and/or whatever they can get away with) to ensure they remain in power indefinitely.
Thirty-four (34) years constitutes nearly two (2) generations of Filipinos. Based on the 2015 census of the Philippines, nearly 70% of the total population of 101 million were 44 years old and below. That's 58% the Philippine population who were not yet born during the People Power Movement in 1986 and another 12% of the Philippine population who were too young to appreciate the importance of the same. I am among the 30% of the Philippine population who called-out the Marcos Dictatorship and stood our ground in the People Power Movement. People Power is enshrined in the Philippine Constitution today, regardless of the relentless efforts of Dutae et al to minimize and eradicate the same from the consciousness of the younger generations of Filipinos. We have the right to invoke People Power when the government has failed its constituents, which is as clear as the light of day under Dutea et al today. Hence, I say to the 70% of the Philippine population, rise-up and reclaim your future soonest. The battle is now in your hands.
Admittedly, it took my generation many years to finally oust the Marcos Dictatorship. So, it may not be fair to expect the younger generations of Filipinos to pick-up and go at a drop of a hat--even though the situation today is so dire that it actually calls for immediate People Power. At the very least, make sure the national elections in 2022 happens and protect its integrity with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your soul. This may be your last opportunity to manifest People Power by voting-out Dutae et al, the Coalition of Plunderers (aka Magnanakaw Inc.), among the many plundering political dynasties in the country and residual elements thereof. Failing which you will be cementing the oppression and enslavement of your generation and those after you.
In closing, I quote in full the article of Rappler reporter, Patricia Evangelista as follows:
I’ll tell you what terror looks like.
Four years ago, I stood across a house where five men had been killed. The families crowded outside. There were many people in that narrow alley, mostly women. Please, they pleaded, tell us who the dead men are. The cops refused, yelled at one mother, shoved another daughter. Then it rained, hard and heavy. People ran. The cops laughed. See, said one cop. He pointed at the sky. See, God is listening to me.
Three years ago, I went door to door to speak to families whose sons had been killed. They named a police officer. They called the deaths executions. One father refused to put his name on the record. His wife told me to use hers. She said it was the least she could do for her dead son.
Two years ago, I sat across vigilantes who told me cops gave them orders to kill. I couldn’t interview the cop they named, because the cop refused to comment. I couldn’t find the families of the dead. They had gone into hiding.
Isn’t that strange, one vigilante asked me, that it’s the families of the dead who have to run?
Last year, I spoke to a woman whose son had been shot by the police. Witnesses said he raised his arms. Please, he said, arrest me instead. The woman filed a case. The cops tried to settle. She refused, even as her own frightened family begged her to move on. On the day the courts decided in her favor, she went to her son’s grave with a copy of the resolution. She read him every word.
I don’t live with terror every day. They do. They have for years. One wake was empty of mourners, because every neighbor was afraid to be seen paying respects. One teenager quit school to trail her mother, terrified Mama would be shot next. A woman who had already buried one son stood guard outside a police station until dawn. Another of her sons had been arrested, and she was afraid he wouldn’t live through the night.
This government would like to tell us terror is a function of guilt. Do not be afraid of the new law, they say. Only terrorists have reason to be afraid. Trust the cops. Trust us to know who the enemy is. Trust us to define what public safety requires. The law is on your side.
Terror is a complicated word, but I’ll give you the other word for it, one less bound by politics and privilege. The word is fear. Fear makes you faint in a police office, in front of your sobbing son. Fear comes when you’re kneeling on a linoleum floor mopping up your own boy’s blood, saying sorry you can’t fight back. Sometimes it makes you apologize to coffins and withdraw witness statements and refuse to testify. Sometimes it stops you from asking questions. Or writing Facebook posts. Or sharing the story of a boy who said, please, arrest me instead.
Isn’t that strange, a killer once asked me, that it’s the families of the dead who have to run?
The old laws didn’t protect these families from terror. The new law, enforced by the same people under whose watch thousands were killed, will make everyone else who dissents a possible target. The government is correct that this new law is about terror, but it isn’t one that will end it.
I write this as protest. I say no too.
#junkterrorbill
Makapangyarihan ka ngayon, Dutae, pero darating din ang araw mo. Hindi na mauulit ang pagtakas ng mga Marcos noong pinatalsik sila. Hindi ka pakakawalan at mauunawaan mo ang tunay na sinaloobin ng Pilipino.
Postscript
Terrorist Anti-Terror law—Duterte’s declaration of martial law
By the UST VARSITARIAN, Sunday, June 7, 2020
THE DUTERTE Congress has railroaded the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill so that it is only a matter of time for the douchebag from Davao residing by the filthy waters of the Pasig to sign into law the institutionalization of state terrorism against the people. Vaguely worded and loosely defining terrorism as to encompass just about any act or speech of dissent and disagreement toward an onion-skinned government intolerant of criticism and easily pricked, as evidenced during the lockdown when police enforcers manhandled and even opened fire at violators or when Duterte fumed at critics complaining about his incompetence and arbitrariness, the new law will surely be a further millstone around the neck of the nation.
It is true that terrorism is a serious problem and that it should be checked and eradicated. However, it is also a fact that the bill once enacted could be weaponized and turned against the people it is meant to protect. And make no mistake: in a dictatorial regime like that of Duterte that has successfully labeled, incarcerated and silenced his most vocal critics, that thought is not far from becoming a reality.
The vagueness of the bill should be a cause for concern for every Filipino who cares for democracy and liberty in the country. It gives a shadowy Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) the authority to arrest people and groups which it designates as “terrorists” without warrant and detain them without charge for up to 24 days. In addition, it also has the power to access private information through wiretapping calls, intercepting emails and text-messages and intruding into private communication. One could be incarcerated for 12 years for “inciting” to terrorism, whatever that means.
With a president who has the habit of branding randomly his enemies as criminals and insurgents through his bizarre matrixes and self-serving red-tagging, we already have an idea where the bill is headed. To be sure, although the bill states that “terrorism shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights,” it in no way guarantees that people who are critical of the government, would not be suspected of destabilizing or “terrorizing” government, especially since Duterte has always shown his aversion to any criticism of his abusive rule and his propensity to tag any opinion contrary to his as “destabilizing.”
A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
Statement of Concerned Members of the Faculty of the University of the Philippines College of Law
Much has been already said about the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020. As concerned faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Law, we add our voices of dissent to the growing chorus.
The words etched in marble at the lobby of Malcolm Hall proclaim that our objective is not only to teach law and make lawyers but “to teach law in the grand manner and to make great lawyers.” These are words of personhood, of purpose, of passion, defining who we are and what we are about. These are words that impel us to continue to speak out, to explain, to dissent, if necessary, and, in so doing, continue to teach generations of lawyers and advocates taught in the grand manner and form them to be great lawyers. These are words that must not remain etched only in marble but must continue to be graven in the DNA of every lawyer that we teach and train, form and mold.
And so, we say NO to the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020!
The Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020 poses a clear and present danger to constitutionalism and the rule of law. Some of its provisions are unconstitutional; for instance, those that pose a chilling effect on free expression and the right to organize and assemble, those that authorize executive orders for arrest and prolonged detention beyond what the law and the Rules of Court provide, those that define broadly yet vaguely the acts that are criminalized. Some provisions are experiments in suppressing lawful dissent and principled advocacy; for instance, the exception to the proviso in section 4 that protects legitimate exercise of civil and political rights, the inclusion of a new offense of “Inciting to Terrorism.” Yet others are violations of the separation of powers; for instance, the power given to the Anti-Terrorism Council, a purely executive body, to exercise the exclusively judicial power to order an arrest as well as to make a conclusion that a person is a terrorist (even on a prima facie basis) for purpose of arrest and detention. Some of the more important provisions protecting the citizenry against unwarranted arrests and charges have been removed, resulting in less, not more, checks and balances against a law that seeks to confer tremendous power on the executive branch. In the midst of a pandemic that has made our people’s lives even more difficult, more fearful, and more uncertain, the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020 provides even more reason to be fearful and uncertain.
As teachers of the law but more importantly as citizens of this country, we continue to look to our true north—the Constitution, which is the bedrock of our citizenship and the people, whom we serve. We ask that the officials who advise the President on constitutional and legal matters take their duties seriously, advise the President of the grave constitutional objections and serious implications of the Anti- Terrorism Law of 2020, and for him to veto the law.
Quezon City, 11 June 2020
Postscript
Terrorist Anti-Terror law—Duterte’s declaration of martial law
By the UST VARSITARIAN, Sunday, June 7, 2020
THE DUTERTE Congress has railroaded the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill so that it is only a matter of time for the douchebag from Davao residing by the filthy waters of the Pasig to sign into law the institutionalization of state terrorism against the people. Vaguely worded and loosely defining terrorism as to encompass just about any act or speech of dissent and disagreement toward an onion-skinned government intolerant of criticism and easily pricked, as evidenced during the lockdown when police enforcers manhandled and even opened fire at violators or when Duterte fumed at critics complaining about his incompetence and arbitrariness, the new law will surely be a further millstone around the neck of the nation.
It is true that terrorism is a serious problem and that it should be checked and eradicated. However, it is also a fact that the bill once enacted could be weaponized and turned against the people it is meant to protect. And make no mistake: in a dictatorial regime like that of Duterte that has successfully labeled, incarcerated and silenced his most vocal critics, that thought is not far from becoming a reality.
The vagueness of the bill should be a cause for concern for every Filipino who cares for democracy and liberty in the country. It gives a shadowy Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) the authority to arrest people and groups which it designates as “terrorists” without warrant and detain them without charge for up to 24 days. In addition, it also has the power to access private information through wiretapping calls, intercepting emails and text-messages and intruding into private communication. One could be incarcerated for 12 years for “inciting” to terrorism, whatever that means.
With a president who has the habit of branding randomly his enemies as criminals and insurgents through his bizarre matrixes and self-serving red-tagging, we already have an idea where the bill is headed. To be sure, although the bill states that “terrorism shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights,” it in no way guarantees that people who are critical of the government, would not be suspected of destabilizing or “terrorizing” government, especially since Duterte has always shown his aversion to any criticism of his abusive rule and his propensity to tag any opinion contrary to his as “destabilizing.”
A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER
Statement of Concerned Members of the Faculty of the University of the Philippines College of Law
Much has been already said about the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020. As concerned faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Law, we add our voices of dissent to the growing chorus.
The words etched in marble at the lobby of Malcolm Hall proclaim that our objective is not only to teach law and make lawyers but “to teach law in the grand manner and to make great lawyers.” These are words of personhood, of purpose, of passion, defining who we are and what we are about. These are words that impel us to continue to speak out, to explain, to dissent, if necessary, and, in so doing, continue to teach generations of lawyers and advocates taught in the grand manner and form them to be great lawyers. These are words that must not remain etched only in marble but must continue to be graven in the DNA of every lawyer that we teach and train, form and mold.
And so, we say NO to the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020!
The Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020 poses a clear and present danger to constitutionalism and the rule of law. Some of its provisions are unconstitutional; for instance, those that pose a chilling effect on free expression and the right to organize and assemble, those that authorize executive orders for arrest and prolonged detention beyond what the law and the Rules of Court provide, those that define broadly yet vaguely the acts that are criminalized. Some provisions are experiments in suppressing lawful dissent and principled advocacy; for instance, the exception to the proviso in section 4 that protects legitimate exercise of civil and political rights, the inclusion of a new offense of “Inciting to Terrorism.” Yet others are violations of the separation of powers; for instance, the power given to the Anti-Terrorism Council, a purely executive body, to exercise the exclusively judicial power to order an arrest as well as to make a conclusion that a person is a terrorist (even on a prima facie basis) for purpose of arrest and detention. Some of the more important provisions protecting the citizenry against unwarranted arrests and charges have been removed, resulting in less, not more, checks and balances against a law that seeks to confer tremendous power on the executive branch. In the midst of a pandemic that has made our people’s lives even more difficult, more fearful, and more uncertain, the Anti-Terrorism Law of 2020 provides even more reason to be fearful and uncertain.
As teachers of the law but more importantly as citizens of this country, we continue to look to our true north—the Constitution, which is the bedrock of our citizenship and the people, whom we serve. We ask that the officials who advise the President on constitutional and legal matters take their duties seriously, advise the President of the grave constitutional objections and serious implications of the Anti- Terrorism Law of 2020, and for him to veto the law.
Quezon City, 11 June 2020
FROM THE COLLEGIAN.
You might not hear from us again. Should things go ever more wrong in the country, reading the Collegian would soon count as a terroristic act. If that doesn’t concern you, you can go ahead and ignore this post. But if you believe this moment demands bold and independent journalism, please read on.
Over the past several months, we have made it a point to continue delivering accurate and balanced coverage. There is so much information to sift through right now, so much we need to know to keep our families and communities safe and involved in national affairs at the same time. Amid the government’s concerted effort to sow even greater confusion, the Collegian knows that its commitment to tackling difficult stories has perhaps never been more pressing than during this period of disquiet.
For the first time in the publication’s history, the Collegian releases a 48-page special issue featuring over a hundred articles, photographs, and illustrations produced over a three-month period since the pandemic hit. Our usual 12 pages of newsprint just would not suffice to yield ample space for sectors that have had to endure governmental inaction and abuse of power during this crisis.
We cast a spotlight on health workers, among the country’s essential workers who are still non-essentially compensated for, and other frontliners who are just as brave and burdened, from farmers and the urban poor to security guards and janitors. Theirs are stories our journalists have raced to report, lest they go untold, lest the power brokers liable for their suffering get off the hook despite their failures and ineptitude.
We believe that these stories need to be told over and over again. Most of these articles have been posted online, but, recognizing the limitations of the platforms we have on Facebook and on Twitter, we have thought to produce a digital issue, which comes in handy for readers to look back on in the future.
This project has been daunting and ambitious. We are counting on you to read and reflect on the stories in this issue. It is thanks to you that we are able to imbue our efforts with meaning and common cause, and we encourage you to share this with anyone who would enjoy it. Better yet, join us. The Collegian opens its doors to writers and artists who wish to partake in the publication's 97-year tradition of seeking and reporting the truth.
This issue bears testament to that endeavor and to how the people have fiercely responded to state-sponsored terror. Like you, we fear our political landscape will grow even more dire in the weeks ahead. But the Collegian vows to remain steadfast in helping create an informed citizenry through fearless and critical journalism, in standing alongside the marginalized—no matter the stakes.
You deserve no less.
Access the full copy of the Collegian's Special COVID-19 Issue here: https://bit.ly/2BOa9wx
#SolusyongMedikalHindiMilitar
You might not hear from us again. Should things go ever more wrong in the country, reading the Collegian would soon count as a terroristic act. If that doesn’t concern you, you can go ahead and ignore this post. But if you believe this moment demands bold and independent journalism, please read on.
Over the past several months, we have made it a point to continue delivering accurate and balanced coverage. There is so much information to sift through right now, so much we need to know to keep our families and communities safe and involved in national affairs at the same time. Amid the government’s concerted effort to sow even greater confusion, the Collegian knows that its commitment to tackling difficult stories has perhaps never been more pressing than during this period of disquiet.
For the first time in the publication’s history, the Collegian releases a 48-page special issue featuring over a hundred articles, photographs, and illustrations produced over a three-month period since the pandemic hit. Our usual 12 pages of newsprint just would not suffice to yield ample space for sectors that have had to endure governmental inaction and abuse of power during this crisis.
We cast a spotlight on health workers, among the country’s essential workers who are still non-essentially compensated for, and other frontliners who are just as brave and burdened, from farmers and the urban poor to security guards and janitors. Theirs are stories our journalists have raced to report, lest they go untold, lest the power brokers liable for their suffering get off the hook despite their failures and ineptitude.
We believe that these stories need to be told over and over again. Most of these articles have been posted online, but, recognizing the limitations of the platforms we have on Facebook and on Twitter, we have thought to produce a digital issue, which comes in handy for readers to look back on in the future.
This project has been daunting and ambitious. We are counting on you to read and reflect on the stories in this issue. It is thanks to you that we are able to imbue our efforts with meaning and common cause, and we encourage you to share this with anyone who would enjoy it. Better yet, join us. The Collegian opens its doors to writers and artists who wish to partake in the publication's 97-year tradition of seeking and reporting the truth.
This issue bears testament to that endeavor and to how the people have fiercely responded to state-sponsored terror. Like you, we fear our political landscape will grow even more dire in the weeks ahead. But the Collegian vows to remain steadfast in helping create an informed citizenry through fearless and critical journalism, in standing alongside the marginalized—no matter the stakes.
You deserve no less.
Access the full copy of the Collegian's Special COVID-19 Issue here: https://bit.ly/2BOa9wx
#SolusyongMedikalHindiMilitar
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