Makabayan solons seek repeal of anti-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."
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“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."
The City Prosecutor said that the military did not see the three respondents arrive at the place of the incident. In addition, the affidavit of a certain Erick Simogan who was introduced as a “former member of CPP-NPA-NDF” was also deemed questionable by the court because he was also not present during the time and place of the incident.
Bulatlat revisits the role of the government’s counterinsurgency plans in the increasing use of the terror financing law to quell and silence activists, critics, and development workers.
Four youth human rights defenders filed civil and criminal complaints against former 59th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Ernesto Teneza Jr., 16 military officers, and five other witnesses before the Office of the Ombudsman on July 19.
Rowena Dasig began her work in human rights and environmental advocacy, serving as a paralegal for Daisy Macapanpan, an environmental defender arrested on fabricated charges.
For years, Southern Tagalog has been one of the priority areas in the government's counterinsurgency program. Social injustice breeds resistance, and the struggle for land, jobs and decent life has been met by vicious attacks.
The ongoing militarization in Tuy is only the latest in the 59th IB’s “reign of terror in Batangas,” according to Tanggol Batangan.
Carlo Reduta was charged with violations of Section 4 of the Anti-Terror Act, murder and frustrated murder and is currently detained at the Gumaca Munipical Police Station, according to Karapatan-Southern Tagalog.
“Let us hold accountable those in power who disregard due process and violate the right to life."
In their separate opinions, three justices voted against the constitutionality of Section 29, which allows the detention of a suspected terrorist even without judicial warrant of arrest. It also allows a longer period of detention from 14 up to 24 days without charges or warrant of arrest.
Senatorial candidate and former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares insists that Duterte will use the law against the opposition this coming elections.
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of human rights alliance Karapatan, said that the ATA, if upheld, would only legalize the human rights violations perpetrated by state security forces.
“The court’s decision is an affirmation that the allegations made against our organization were based on unfounded testimonies."
Under the Duterte administration, Karapatan has noted a pattern of using search warrants issued by executive judges in Quezon City and Manila regional trial courts to conduct police and military raids on homes and offices of the progressive leaders and activists which led to the killings or if not, end up arrested after supposed “evidence” were gathered by the authorities.
This latest terrorist designation on the NDFP is a fascistic act of casting the net so wide in order to tag the armed revolutionary group as a growing network. That it comes with the government’s inability to contain the probable spread of the much feared COVID-19 Delta variant is no longer a shocker.
Vicente Ladlad's wife, Fides said that his accounts are not from the money laundering or terrorism financing but resulted from Republic Act No. 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013.
Ironically, cases against red-tagged individuals are being dismissed by government courts for lack of probable cause or because of insufficient evidence. Motions to quash search warrants were also granted by the courts, declaring whatever so-called evidence the police have acquired during the search as inadmissible.
“There is nothing most fearful, most oppressive and most unjust than the way political prisoners are being treated under this regime.”
Esperon, who sits as the vice-chair of the terror council, refused to provide Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe the names of those they will designate as terrorists as it may preempt the ATC.
“It is not merely provocation. What I fear about is the phrase ‘provoke the government’ is too vague so as to include any kind of provocation. It did not say that to provoke a government to do or to abstain from doing an act. Just it stated that to provoke the government."
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