📷: Karapatan
Makabayan Bloc Files House Bill 1272 to Repeal Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
Today marks five years since the enactment of the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020—infamously known as the Terror Law. In those five years, the law has been wielded as a weapon against critics, activists, journalists, teachers, students, indigenous peoples, and ordinary citizens who dare to speak truth to power. We remember those who have been unjustly detained, surveilled, red-tagged, harassed, and even killed under the climate of fear and impunity that the Terror Law has fostered.
We, the Makabayan Bloc, reaffirm our unwavering opposition to the Terror Law. Today, we filed HB 1272 to repeal Republic Act No. 11479, a law that stands in stark contradiction to the democratic and human rights principles enshrined in our Constitution and international covenants. It is time to end the reign of fear, silence, and repression.
For five years, the Terror Law has been used to criminalize dissent and suppress legitimate struggles for justice, freedom, and genuine social change. The broad and vague definition of “terrorism” has allowed state forces to arbitrarily tag individuals and organizations as “terrorists,”. The chilling effect of this law has undermined the work of human rights defenders, journalists, teachers, students, and grassroots organizers.
As Rep. Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers Party-list emphasizes, “The Terror Law has no place in a society that values democracy and human rights. It has only served to justify attacks against ordinary Filipinos and those who champion their rights. We must repeal this law to protect our fundamental freedoms.”
Ayon kay Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co, “Limang taon na tayong nabubuhay sa takot at pananakot dahil sa Terror Law. Panahon na para wakasan ang batas na ito na ginagamit laban sa mga kabataan, guro, manggagawa, magsasaka, at lahat ng lumalaban para sa tunay na pagbabago. Dapat nang ibasura ang Terror Law!”
We echo the calls of countless organizations, movements, and individuals who have marched, petitioned, and spoken out against the Terror Law since its passage. We are one with the families of victims like Japer Gurung and Junior Ramos, the Aeta farmers wrongfully detained and tortured under this law. We are one with the memory of Zara Alvarez, Randy Echanis, and all those whose lives were cut short by state violence emboldened by the Terror Law.
The state’s duty to ensure peace and security must never come at the expense of our people’s rights and freedoms. The true path to peace and justice lies not in repression but in addressing the roots of poverty, inequality, and social unrest.
We call on our colleagues in Congress to support the immediate repeal of the Terror Law. #
