Arroyo administration terrorizes Filipinos with “Terror Bills”

AKBAYAN and the Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL) today picketed the House of Representatives to express strong opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the National ID System. Calling the legislative proposals "terror bills," AKBAYAN and APL called for greater vigilance to prevent the passage of these measures.

AKBAYAN President Ronald Llamas chided the Arroyo administration for repeatedly raising the specter of terrorism to justify the most repressive and draconian policies. "The Anti-Terror bill is a form of social control that is intrusive and violates fundamental human rights," Llamas said.

Referring to the administration's latest effort on the so-called "war against terror," Llamas said that Pres. Arroyo risks further losing the people's confidence because of irrational measures like the Anti-Terrorism Bill. "The very vague definition of terrorism in the bill would allow the state and unscrupulous private entities to violate people's rights. The bill brings back the nightmare that was Martial Law," Llamas explained.

Josua Mata of APL maintains that the bill is not only acceptable but fundamentally flawed. "For instance constitutionally-guaranteed rights pertaining to warrantless arrests and detention are being trampled upon in the name of security," Mata stressed.

The Anti-terrorism Bill also authorizes freezing of suspected terrorists' assets and maintenance of wiretaps on electronic communications. "With this (Anti-Terrorism Bill), the government has all the tools needed to conduct the most massive assault on human rights," Mata said.

The proposed measures, according to the two groups, terrorize rather than protect.