FIND, Inc. Stands in Defense of Human Rights in the Philippines
June 19, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Christian Marquez
National Chairperson
marquez@findinc.org
FIND, Inc. Stands in Defense of Human Rights in the Philippines
Storrs, CT (June 18, 2020) -
The Philippine government has been acting with dangerous efficiency in approving the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (HB 6875). Recently, the bill passed the House, 173-31-29. As the bill has already passed the Senate in February, it is currently awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval/veto.
About the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
This act explicitly states: “Nothing in this act shall be interpreted as a curtailment, restriction or diminution of constitutionally recognized powers of the executive branch of government. It is to be understood, however, that the exercise of the constitutionally recognized powers of the executive department of the government shall not prejudice respect for human rights, which shall be absolute and protected at times.”
This act repeals the Human Security Act of 2007, which protected citizens from wrongful detainment via fines on law enforcement.
The President has the power to establish an anti-terrorism council, which has the power to persons or organizations as terrorists, which are defined as individuals who:
Cause damage to public property or private property
Engage in acts with intent to cause interference to critical infrastructure
Develop or deploy dangerous substances with the intent to damage structures
Engage in acts with intent to cause injury or death to a person’s life
However, the most concerning aspects of this bill include restrictions against:
Partaking in “disorderly” protests
Donating to non-state recognized organizations
Dissemination of information online that is critical of the Philippine government
Terrorism in the Philippines
According to the Global Terrorism Index, published by the Vision of Humanity, the Philippines was the 9th most impacted country in the world by terrorism in 2019, moving up one spot from 2018. This is a noteworthy statistic, as the Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia to be ranked in the top 10. Terrorism is largely driven by the New People’s Army, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, as well as affiliates of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant through Abu-Sayyaf. In 2019, terrorist groups in the Philippines led to 297 deaths, and 343 injured spread amongst a total of 424 incidents.
On the Issues
The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is alarming, with its potential for abuse as previously referenced. This could mean that actions taken by the government are in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was established by the United Nations in 1948. Given the Philippines’ current extrajudicial killings are already in violation of the aforementioned UDHR, FIND, Inc. stands in defense of human rights. We acknowledge that there is the potential to cause a police state, with the suppression of information to follow. Human rights must not be infringed upon, and we firmly support Filipino citizens’ rights to dissent against the Philippine government.
As a non-profit Filipino-American intercollegiate organization, we strongly encourage all of our members to open avenues of discussion with your peers and family members both in the United States and in the Philippines, so that you may stay up-to-date and aware of the issues. It is important to do so, as this will allow you to formulate an opinion in regards to passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
For more information on the Global Terrorism Index: http://visionofhumanity.org/app/uploads/2019/11/GTI-2019web.pdf
For any questions, please email marquez@findinc.org
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Twitter: @findinc
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About FIND, Inc.
Founded on April 11, 1992, the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue, Incorporated (FIND, Inc.) stands as a symbol to the Filipino and ethnic consciousness presently seen on collegiate campuses. Currently, its network actively links over 82 East Coast colleges, universities, vocational, and technical schools.