preface: the above post summarizes everything more neatly and concisely than i ever could, so i would like to ask those who see this to take a minute to read up on a proposed bill in my country, the philippines. please, please help us.
on its face, the anti-terror bill seeks to crack down on terrorism-- however, when examined closely, the actual definition of terrorism is vague and much too broad. those who threaten to commit any of the acts which constitute terrorism (it may be in person, or in a tweet, or in a private message) can be imprisoned for 12 years. incitement to terrorism through “speeches, proclamations, writings” (again, could be facebook posts, tweets, messages, or even things that come out of our mouths) is also punishable by 12 years of imprisonment.
on the other hand, those who participate in planning acts of terrorism (as defined in the proposed law) are subject to the penalty of life imprisonment without parole.
this is especially significant in our country, because our current administration has a brutal disregard for human rights. the drug war alone has taken at least an estimated 27,000 lives: without due process or proper trial-- often those suspected of drug pushing are merely shot in the streets. the current pandemic is being handled very poorly-- mass testing has not been put in place, and quarantine is slowly being lifted for the economy’s sake. one of our biggest news networks has been shut down and denied a franchise renewal after being openly critical of the government.
the government’s increasing incompetence during the pandemic has opened many citizens’ eyes to how unfeeling and inefficient those in power are, and many have begun to speak up and speak out. ultimately, the proposed law is an extremely transparent way to silence those who criticize the government, to call them terrorists, and to allow them to be subjected to state surveillance. it is also blatantly, painfully unconstitutional, and violates many of the rights the citizen is entitled to in our bill of rights: the right to be secure in one’s person and the right against warrantless arrests (sec. 2), the privacy of communication and correspondence (sec. 3), freedom of speech (sec. 4). while the bill states that terrorism does not include advocacy, protest, or dissent, historically, the government or the police has never made such distinctions, and punishes activists acting well within their rights.
i know that it is uncomfortable to be political-- for most of my life, admittedly, i had been hesitant to speak up and out. learning about what is going on is intimidating. dissenting is downright dangerous. but as a student, and as a student of the law, i’ve begun to realize: what is the point of learning if not to help other people? what is the point of learning if not to uphold the law and the rights of others? everything is political, and we must act now.
with this i implore those on studyblr to help us speak out against this bill, as it is dangerous for us to do so. we are dying and being silenced.
please sign the petition. please share. and thank you so, so much for reading.
https://www.change.org/p/junk-the-anti-terrorism-bill-and-uphold-human-rights
gummygunk
jacobvanloon
ellievsbear
vaporwave
baratheonpilled
annaxmalina
