Anti-Terrorism Bill
to Keep Cordi Rights Advocates Busy
The passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB)
would mean more work for the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) as
the group said that human rights violations and political killings would
escalate with its passage.
BY KIM QUITASOL
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
BAGUIO CITY (Feb. 9)
— The passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB) would mean more work for
the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA) as the group said that human
rights violations and political killings would escalate with its passage.
The House of
Representatives adopted en toto the Senate version of the
anti-terror bill which senators passed on Wednesday evening. The senators
on Thursday evening ratified the bicameral committee report on the
agreement but the House failed to do the same for lack of a quorum.
President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo told Baguio-based media in Malacañang on Thursday that
she was “waiting for the reconciled version pen in hand.” She said once
the House adopts the Senate version in a bicameral meeting, the bills are
as good as approved.
CHRA
secretary-general Atty. Randy Kinaud said his group would need more
dedicated people’s rights advocates saying that with the passage of the
ATB, more victims of human rights violations and political killings would
need assistance. He said the ATB does not really combat terrorism but
rather breed state violence against the people.
ATB in the context
of the GMA administration
“We have to
understand the ATB considering the characteristics of the present
administration, which has been proven by the Supreme Court to have
violated the Constitution several times,” he stressed.
Kinaud said the ATB
would only legitimize “state oppression” as it violates provisions of the
Bill of Rights that were enshrined to protect the people. He particularly
mentioned the legalization of detention without charges and violation of
the press freedom. He explained that with the passage of an anti-terror
law, anybody could be detained indefinitely without charges on the mere
suspicion that he is a terrorist. He added that media practitioners could
also be criminally charged for merely interviewing or contacting suspected
terrorists.
“One group that would
benefit from the passage of the ATB is the revolutionary movement because
it would not be difficult for them to explain how oppressive, exploitative
and rotten this administration is,” he said.
Kinaud also said that
with the anti-terror law, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and
Philippine National Police (PNP) could file terrorism charges against
members of organizations tagged as “terrorist fronts.”
People die
fighting for what is right
In a separate
interview, Dr. Constancio Claver, one of the few survivors of political
violence, said that ATB endangers the lives of the people. He added that
with the passage of the said bill into law, more people would die fighting
for what is right.
Claver further said
that since 1980 he was a vocal critic of government’s anti-people policies
and was tagged by the AFP as a member of the National Democratic Front (NDF)
but never felt a threat in his life until the U.S. labeled the Communist
Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and NDFP political consultant
Jose Maria Sison as “terrorists.” He said the AFP have labeled many
legitimate organizations as terrorist organizations and have made them
targets for neutralization, which in military parlance means killing and
the ATB would make labeling legal.
Shooting an idea
Claver stressed,
however, that these organizations tagged as terrorist fronts would
continue to exist and even strengthen themselves despite the passage of
ATB because the issues of the people remain unresolved. He explained that
the reason of being of progressive organizations is the support of the
people.
“You can not shoot
down an idea with a bullet,” Clavber stressed. “You can only shoot it down
with a better idea.” He added that if the government should think of a
better idea to solve the economic, social and political problem of today
instead of pursuing anti-people policies.
Claver, Cordillera
Peoples Alliance (CPA)-Kalinga vice chairman and Bayan Muna-Kalinga
chairman, survived an ambush on July 31, 2006 in Tabuk, Kalinga. His wife,
Alyce Omengan-Claver died in the said attack. Northern Dispatch /
Posted by Bulatlat
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