The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, officially designated as Republic Act No. 11479, is a
counter-terrorism law intended to prevent, prohibit, and penalize
terrorism in the Philippines
Terrorism is a major social issue in the Philippines and it is linked to the Moro conflict and the communist rebellion. The country ranks in 16th place on the Global Terrorism Index's 2022 list of countries most affected by terrorism.
Legal ...
.
[ ] The law was passed by the
18th Congress and signed by President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
on July 3, 2020, effectively replacing the
Human Security Act
The Human Security Act of 2007, officially designated as Republic Act No. 9372, was a Philippine law that took effect on July 20, 2007. The law, which was watered-down after opposition from some politicians and rights groups feared the legislati ...
of 2007 on July 18, 2020.
A total of 37 petitions were filed before the
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court ( fil, Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the ''Korte Suprema'' lso used in formal writing is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on Ju ...
challenging the law's constitutionality, making it the most assailed piece of legislation in Philippine history. On December 9, 2021, the Court announced that apart from two unconstitutional portions of the law, all other challenged provisions thereof are declared not unconstitutional.
Overview
Definition of terrorism
The Act defines terrorism as:
* Engaging in acts intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to any person or endangers a person's life;
* Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive damage or destruction to a government or public facility, public place, or private property;
* Engaging in acts intended to cause extensive interference with, damage, or destruction to critical infrastructure;
* Developing, manufacturing, possessing, acquiring, transporting, supplying, or using weapons; and
* Releasing dangerous substances or causing fire, floods or explosions when the purpose is to intimidate the general public, create an atmosphere to spread a message of fear, provoke or influence by intimidation the government or any international organization, seriously destabilize or destroy the fundamental political, economic, or social structures in the country, or create a public emergency or seriously undermine public safety
The definition states that "advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights" shall not be considered as terrorist acts only if they "are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person's life, or to create a serious risk to public safety."
Creation of Anti-Terrorism Council
The law also creates a presidentially-appointed body, the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), which would designate the persons who could be arrested as "terrorists."
Because of other provisions of the law. these persons could be detained for up to 24 days (14 days with a possible 10-day extension),
and would not be automatically compensated for wrongful imprisonment as they originally were under the Human Security Act of 2007.
Warrantless arrest
The law allows suspects to be detained without a judicial warrant of arrest for 14 days and can be extended by 10 more days, and placed under surveillance for 60 days, that can also be extended by up to 30 days, by the police or military.
But an analyst argues that this provision is essential for counterterrorism to "allow more time for investigators to get valuable information from the terror suspect. A longer detention period can also provide ample time to facilitate interrogation. It can also incapacitate the suspected terrorist from wrecking havoc. Most importantly, longer preventive detention can lawfully hold suspect when usual criminal charges cannot be filed for some technical considerations."
Removal of safeguard against wrongful detention
The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 also removes a section under the Human Security Act of 2007 which is meant to safeguard against the wrongful accusation and detention of suspects. Previously, if a person imprisoned under the HSA were found to actually not be guilty, that person would be compensated for wrongful detention, with the cost "automatically charged against the appropriations of the police agency or the Anti-Terrorism Council that brought or sanctioned the filing of the charges against the accused."
Under the new law, a wrongfully detained person would have to file a suit against the government in order to get any remuneration for having been wrongfully accused.
Background
Branding of "rebel groups" in Philippine history
Conflicts with ideologically motivated groups, both armed and unarmed have frequently been labeled "terrorists," "rebels," and "bandits" throughout the Philippines' history.
Groups branded "insurrectos" during the colonial era and World War II
During the colonial era, forces fighting for Filipino independence, such as those under
Diego Silang
Diego Silang y Andaya (; December 16, 1730 – May 28, 1763) was a Filipino revolutionary leader who allied with British forces to overthrow Spanish rule in the northern Philippines and establish an independent Ilocano state. His revolt was f ...
,
Andres Bonifacio,
Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who is the youngest president of the Philippines (1899–1901) and is recognized as the first president of the Philippine ...
, and
Macario Sakay were intentionally labeled "insurrectos" and "bandits" in order to de-legitimize and downplay their cause.
In the 1930s, the
Hukbalahap
The Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon (), better known by the acronym Hukbalahap, was a Communism, communist Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla movement formed by the farmers of Central Luzon. They were originally formed to Philippine resistance against Ja ...
of the
Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP-1930) was one of the most active guerrilla forces fighting for Filipino freedom during World War II, but it found itself in conflict with the newly independent Philippine government after the war, until it was effectively defeated in the 1950s.
Opposition groups during the Marcos administration
A new communist organization, the
Communist Party of the Philippines
The Communist Party of the Philippines ( fil, Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas) is a far-left, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is desi ...
(CPP), was formed in 1969, and although it was still small, the Philippine government used its formation to take advantage of the cold war
red scare
A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which ar ...
in the United States to increase the influx of defense support funds from the US.
A 1968 Philippine senate investigation into the
Jabidah massacre
The Jabidah massacre on March 18, 1968 was the purported assassinations or executions of Moro people, Moro army recruits who allegedly mutiny, mutinied upon learning the true nature of their mission. It is acknowledged as a major flashpoint tha ...
, in which Muslim recruits were supposedly massacred in
Corregidor
Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...
to prevent them from blowing the cover on a botched Military operation resulted in the rise of multiple secessionist movements in the Muslim-majority areas in western Mindanao Island, including the
Muslim Independence Movement The Muslim Independence Movement (MIM) was a secessionist political organization in the Philippines.
On 1 May 1968, two months after the Jabidah massacre, Datu Udtog Matalam, a former governor of Cotabato, issued a Manifesto for the declaration of ...
, the
Bangsamoro Liberation Organization
ar, منطقة بانجسامورو ذاتية الحكم فى مسلمى مينداناو
, native_name =
, settlement_type = Autonomous region
, anthem = Bangsamoro Hymn
, image_skyline ...
.
President
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
cited the new communist and moro separatist movements among his reasons for declaring
martial law in 1972, but also used his powers to "emasculate all the leaders" of the political opposition, allowing him to hold authoritarian power over the Philippines for more than two decades.
While martial law decimated the leadership of the political opposition, it radicalized otherwise "moderate" young people of the time, leading to the rapid growth of the Communist Party of the Philippines' New People's Army.
In western Mindanao, the
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) became the dominant voice of Muslim separatism after the
burning of Jolo in 1974.
In northern Luzon, the murder of
Macli-ing Dulag
Macli-ing Dulag (customarily referred to by his first name, also spelled Macliing or Macli'ing; c. 1930 – 24 April 1980) was a ''pangat'' (leader) of the Butbut tribe of Kalinga province in the Philippines. He is best as one of the leaders of t ...
for his opposition to the Marcos administration's
Chico River Dam project became a rallying cry which inspired the formation of militant groups such as the
Cordillera People's Liberation Army
The Cordillera People's Liberation Army (CPLA) was a militant organization based in the Cordillera region in the Philippines founded by Conrado Balweg.
Formation
In 1986, the CPLA broke away from the communist New People's Army (NPA), criticiz ...
(CPLA).
On the other hand, the martial law saw the creation of human rights advocacy groups across the whole political spectrum, with civil society groups such as the
Movement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties
The Movement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties (MCCCL) is an advocacy coalition in the Philippines which was first formed under the leadership of Jose W. Diokno in 1971, as a response to the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus in the w ...
and the
Free Legal Assistance Group were joined even by church groups such as the
National Council of Churches in the Philippines,
Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines
The Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) is a non-profit, national human rights organization based in Manila, Philippines. It documents human rights violations, assists victims and their families, organizes missions, conducts human righ ...
, and
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas;
bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...
, and by business groups such as the
Makati Business Club
The Makati Business Club is a private non-profit business association in the Philippines founded in 1981 to promote the role of the business sector in national development efforts. Counting senior executives from some of the Philippines' largest ...
, in actively fighting the proliferation of human rights abuses during the period.
Conflicts after 1986
After Marcos was removed from power through the mostly-peaceful
People Power revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
of 1986, the
Reform the Armed Forces Movement
The Reform the Armed Forces Movement, also referred to by the acronym RAM, was a cabal of officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) known for several attempts to seize power in the Philippines during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1986, som ...
launched numerous coups to overthrow the government,
while conflicts continued with the MNLF, MILF, CCP, and smaller groups like the CPLA. Ideological differences in the CCP resulted in various groups who rejected its adherence to Maoist orthodoxy splitting into more than a dozen smaller groups, including the
Revolutionary Workers' Party of the Philippines.
Red-tagging
In recent years, international organizations including the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
,
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
, and
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
have called attention to the continued practice of red-tagging as a political tactic to stifle dissent in the Philippines. The practice, under which individuals or groups are labeled "communist" or "terrorist" regardless of their actual beliefs or affiliations, has been noted for frequently targeting human rights organizations,
church or religious groups, health worker unions, the academe, and the mainstream media.
Religious extremist terrorism
Brothers
Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani and
Khadaffy Janjalani
Khadaffy Abubakar Janjalani (also transliterated as Khadafy Janjalani, Khadafi Janjalani and Khaddafi Janjalani; March 3, 1975 – September 4, 2006) was the leader of the Moro militant group known as Abu Sayyaf and the leader of one of its ...
split from the MNLF in 1991 and established their own group, the
Abu Sayyaf, which eventually became infamous for
bombing
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...
s,
kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
s, assassinations,
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
,
rape,
child sexual assault,
forced marriage,
drive-by shootings,
extortion
Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...
and drug trafficking. On July 23, 2014, Abu Sayyaf leader
Isnilon Hapilon
Isnilon Totoni Hapilon (March 10, 1968 – October 16, 2017), also known by the ''nom de guerre'' Abu Abdullah al-Filipini, was a Moro Filipino Islamist militant affiliated with ISIS. He was formerly leader of Abu Sayyaf Group, before its bat ...
swore an
oath of loyalty
An oath of allegiance is an oath whereby a subject or citizen acknowledges a duty of allegiance and swears loyalty to a monarch or a country. In modern republics, oaths are sworn to the country in general, or to the country's constitution. For ...
to
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
(ISIL).
In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people for ransom, in the name of ISIL.
However, in the leadup to the passage and signing of the Anti-Terror Act of 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte said that his administration would focus on "communists." He called the Abu Sayyaf "terrorists of no value," saying "''Actually the number one threat to the country, hindi Abu Sayyaf, hindi mga terorista of no value. Itong high-value targets itong mga komunista''" ("Actually the number one threat to the country is not the Abu Sayyaf Group, not terrorists of no value. The high-value targets are the communists")."
Legislative history
Human Security Act of 2007
The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 repeals the
Human Security Act of 2007, making changes to some of the provisions as well as the definitions under terrorism.
Senator
Panfilo Lacson
Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. (; born June 1, 1948) is a Filipino former politician and police general who served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator for three terms: from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of the Phil ...
, one of the principal authors of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, said that the Human Security Act of 2007 was a "dead letter law" because it has been "severely underutilized" as it only resulted in a single convicted felon and had only one proscribed organization, the
Abu Sayyaf.
Senate Bill No. 1083
The bill was prepared by the Committees on National Defense and Security; Peace, Unification and Reconciliation; and Finance with the following as authors:
*
Panfilo Lacson
Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. (; born June 1, 1948) is a Filipino former politician and police general who served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator for three terms: from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of the Phil ...
*
Lito Lapid
*
Imee Marcos
*
Bong Revilla
*
Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa
*
Tito Sotto
Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Lea ...
It was approved by the Senate on February 26, 2020
with the following 19 voting in the affirmative:
*
Sonny Angara
*
Nancy Binay
*
Pia Cayetano
Pilar Juliana Schramm Cayetano KGCR (born March 22, 1966), known as Pia Cayetano, is a Filipina politician and lawyer serving as a Senator since 2019, a position she previously held from 2004 to 2016. She was also the Representative of Tagui ...
* Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa
* Minority Leader
Franklin Drilon
Franklin Magtunao Drilon (born November 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and former politician. He had the longest tenure in the Senate of the Philippines (tied with Lorenzo Tañada, Tito Sotto and incumbent Loren Legarda), having served four no ...
*
Grace Poe
* Imee Marcos
* Lito Lapid
*
Joel Villanueva
Emmanuel Joel Jose Villanueva (, born August 2, 1975), nicknamed "Tesdaman", is a Filipino politician serving as the Senate Majority Leader since 2022 and has been a Senator since 2016. He previously served as the Director General of the Techn ...
*
Cynthia Villar
*
Manny Pacquiao
*
Win Gatchalian
*
Bong Go
Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Tesoro Go (; born June 14, 1974) is a Filipino politician serving as a Senator since 2019. He previously served in the Cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as Special Assistant to the President and Head of the Presi ...
*
Richard J. Gordon
Richard Juico Gordon (born August 5, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who most recently served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator from 2016 to 2022, and previously from 2004 to 2010. He is the chairman and CEO of the Philippine R ...
* Panfilo Lacson
* Bong Revilla
* Senate President Tito Sotto
*
Francis Tolentino
Francis N Tolentino (; is a Filipino politician and lawyer serving as a Senator since 2019. He served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from 2010 to 2015 and was the Mayor of Tagaytay from 1995 to 2004.
For ...
* Majority Leader
Juan Miguel Zubiri
The following senators dissented:
*
Risa Hontiveros
Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros-Baraquel (; born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician, community leader, and journalist who has been serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2016. She previously served as a party-list representa ...
*
Kiko Pangilinan
Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan (; born August 24, 1963) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and farm owner who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 2004 to 2008.
A ...
House Bill No. 6875
The bill was introduced by the following representatives and filed on May 30, 2020.
Out of the 71 original authors, 15 members had their names stricken out as the authors of the controversial bill.
The bill was approved on final reading on June 3, 2020, as an adoption of the earlier version approved by Senate.
An additional 5 withdrew their authorship afterwards.
[Go to http://congress.gov.ph, do search for "6875", click 18th Congress, click "History"]
*
Raneo E. Abu – Batangas, 2nd District
* Cyrille "Beng" F. Abueg-Zaldivar – Palawan, 2nd District
* Maria Fe R. Abunda – Eastern Samar, Lone District, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
*
Resurreccion M. Acop – Antipolo, 2nd District
* Michael Edgar Y. Aglipay – Party List – DIWA
* Marlyn "Len" B. Alonte – Biñan, Lone District, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
* Cristal S. Bagatsing – Manila, 5th District, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
*
Robert Ace S. Barbers – Surigao del Norte, 2nd District
* Julienne "Jam" A. Baronda – Iloilo City, Lone District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
* Joseph Sto. Niño B. Bernos – Abra, Lone District
*
Rozzano Rufino B. Biazon – Muntinlupa, Lone District, Principal author, later disowned bill as it "only copied Senate version". ''Withdrew authorship June 3, 2020''
* Lianda B. Bolilia – Batangas, 4th District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
* Juan Pablo "Rimpy" P. Bondoc – Pampanga, 4th District
*
Narciso "Bong" Recio Bravo, Jr. – Masbate, 1st District
* Jorge "PATROL" Bustos – Party List – PATROL
* Argel Joseph T. Cabatbat – Party List – MAGSASAKA, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
* Manuel DG. Cabochan III – Party List –
MAGDALO, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
* Arnold "Noli" D. Celeste – Pangasinan, 1st District
* Ma. Theresa V. Collantes – Batangas, 3rd District
* Anthony Peter "Onyx" D. Crisologo – Quezon City, 1st District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
* Manuel Jose "Mannix" M. Dalipe – Zamboanga City, 2nd District
* Francisco G. Datol Jr. – Party List –
SENIOR CITIZENS
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human biological life cycle, life cycle. Terms and euphemisms for people at this age include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage ...
* Presley C. De Jesus – Party List – PHILRECA
* Adriano A. Ebcas – Party List – AKO PADAYON PILIPINO
*
Evelina G. Escudero – Sorsogon, 1st District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
* Conrad M. Estrella III – Party List – ABONO
* Ria Cristina G. Fariñas – Ilocos Norte, 1st District, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
*
Danilo "Dan" S. Fernandez – Laguna, 1st District
*
Lawrence "Law" H. Fortun – Agusan del Norte, 1st District, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
*
Pablo John F. Garcia – Cebu, 3rd District
* Ciriaco B. Gato Jr. – Batanes, Lone District
* Ruwel Peter S. Gonzaga – Davao de Oro, 2nd District
*
Aurelio "Dong" D. Gonzales, Jr. – Pampanga, 3rd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
*
Neptali M. Gonzales II – Mandaluyong, Lone District
* Michael B. Gorriceta – Iloilo, 2nd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
* Ferdinand L. Hernandez – South Cotabato, 2nd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 4, 2020''
* Bernadette "BH" Herrera-Dy – Party List – BH, ''withdrew authorship on June 4, 2020''
* Wilton "Tonton" Tan Kho – Masbate, 3rd District
* Loren Legarda – Antique, Lone District, ''requested name be removed'' after being "mistakenly" referred to as coauthor
* Dahlia A. Loyola – Cavite, 5th District
* Rodante D. Marcoleta – Party List – SAGIP
* Ruth Mariano-Hernandez – Laguna, 2nd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 2, 2020''
*
Francisco Jose "Bingo" F. Matugas II – Surigao del Norte, 1st District
*
John Marvin "Yul Servo" C. Nieto – Manila, 3rd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 8, 2020''
*
Jericho Jonas "Koko" Bendigo Nograles – Party List – PBA
* Henry S. Oaminal – Misamis Occidental, 2nd District
*
Joseph Stephen "Caraps" S. Paduano – Party List –
ABANG LINGKOD
Abang Lingkod () is a political organization with representation in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It aims to represent the interest of Filipino farmers and fishermen.
History
Abang Lingkod registered on December 22, 2009, to ...
* Wilter "Sharky" Wee Palma II – Zamboanga Sibugay, 1st District
*
Alberto "Bobby" Dapidran Pacquiao – Party List – OFW FAMILY
* Eddiebong G. Plaza – Agusan del Sur, 2nd District
*
Roberto "Robbie" Villanueva Puno – Antipolo, 1st District
*
Strike Bautista Revilla – Cavite, 2nd District
* Michael Odylon L. Romero – Party List – 1-PACMAN
*
Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez – Leyte, 1st District
* Xavier Jesus D. Romualdo – Camiguin, Lone District
* Rogelio Neil P. Roque – Bukidnon, 4th District
* Hector S. Sanchez – Catanduanes, Lone District
*
Vilma Santos-Recto
Rosa Vilma Tuazon Santos-Recto (, born November 3, 1953) is a Filipino actress, singer, dancer, TV host, producer, and politician. She served as a House Deputy Speaker since 2019 to 2022 and as the Representative of Batangas' 6th district since ...
– Batangas, 6th District
*
Edgar Mary S. Sarmiento – Samar, 1st District
* Deogracias Victor "DV" Savellano – Ilocos Sur, 1st District
* Rowena "Niña" O. Taduran – Party List – Party List
ACT-CIS
The ACT-CIS Partylist, officially the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Partylist, is a political organization which has party-list representation in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. They are supported pr ...
* Samier A. Tan – Sulu, 1st District
* Sharee Ann T. Tan –
Samar, 2nd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 3, 2020''
*
Jose "Ping-Ping" I. Tejada – North Cotabato, 3rd District, ''withdrew authorship on June 7, 2020''
*
John Reynald Marcelo Tiangco – Navotas, Lone District
* Jocelyn P. Tulfo – Party List – Party List
ACT-CIS
The ACT-CIS Partylist, officially the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Partylist, is a political organization which has party-list representation in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. They are supported pr ...
* Raul "Boboy" C. Tupas – Iloilo, 5th District
* Vicente "Ching" S.E. Veloso – Leyte, 3rd District
*
Luis Raymund "LRay" Favis Villafuerte, Jr. – Camarines Sur, 2nd District
* Camille A. Villar – Las Piñas, Lone District
*
Eric Go Yap
Eric Go Yap (born May 11, 1979) is a Filipino politician serving as the Representative for Benguet's lone congressional district since 2022, and was the district's legislative caretaker from January 2020 until he was elected in his own right. H ...
– Party List – Party List
ACT-CIS
The ACT-CIS Partylist, officially the Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support Partylist, is a political organization which has party-list representation in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. They are supported pr ...
The House of Representatives voted 173–31 in favor of the bill, with 29 abstentions, but was corrected to 168–36 a day after to reflect corrections and retractions from members. The members voted in the plenary and via
Zoom
Zoom may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Zoom (software), videoconferencing application
* Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display
* Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...
and recorded in their "All Members"
Viber
Viber, or Rakuten Viber, is a cross-platform voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging (IM) software application owned by Japanese multinational company Rakuten, provided as freeware for the Google Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS a ...
community
Republic Act No. 11479: Signing of the law
The law was signed by President
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
on July 3, 2020, in the midst of the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and comes as part of the Philippines continued fight against terrorism in its borders. Proponents of the law have cited the
siege of Marawi
The siege of Marawi ( fil, Pagkubkob sa Marawi), also known as the Marawi crisis (), and the Battle of Marawi (), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Government of the Philippines, ...
in 2017 as well as criminal activities from the
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
-linked
Abu Sayyaf group,
New People's Army Communist Rebels, and other supposed emerging threats to peace and public safety. According to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, the law took effect on July 18, 2020, 15 days after it was published in the website of the ''
Official Gazette''.
The Department of Justice released the law's implementing rules and regulations on October 16, 2020.
Proposal for repeal
In 2022, Kabataan party-list Rep.
Raoul Manuel
Raoul Danniel Abellar Manuel (born August 30, 1994) is a Filipinos, Filipino youth activist and politician who is the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representative for Kabataan, Kabataan Party-list. He is currently the National Pr ...
, ACT Teachers party-list Rep.
France Castro, and Gabriela women’s party-list Rep.
Arlene Brosas
Arlene D. Brosas (born October 30, 1976) is a Filipina educator, child rights activist, and politician. She is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 19th Congress and was part of the 18th Congress under the Gabriela Women ...
filed a bill in Congress that sought to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which supposedly violates the Philippines’ international commitment to uphold human rights.
Legal challenges in the Supreme Court
The law is currently being challenged in the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
by multiple groups. Oral arguments began on February 2, 2021, after it was initially delayed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
37 petitions were filed before the Supreme Court.
On December 9, 2021, the Supreme Court announced that except for the qualifier to the proviso in Section 4 of R.A. No. 11479, ''i.e.'', "… which are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person's life, or to create a serious risk to public safety" and the second method for designation in Section 25 paragraph 2 of the same law, ''i.e.'', "Request for designation by other jurisdictions or supranational jurisdictions," the rest of the challenged provisions of the law are declared not unconstitutional. It further advised the parties and the public to await the publication of the decision and the separate opinions for the explanation of the votes.
Responses and reactions
International
United States
On July 15, 2020, 50 members of the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
urged Ambassador
Jose Manuel Romualdez
Jose Manuel "Babe" del Gallego Romualdez (born November 8, 1947) is a Filipino journalist, publisher and business executive who is the current Ambassador of the Philippines to the United States. He previously served as Special Envoy of Preside ...
to request the Government of the Philippines to consider repealing the "oppressive and unnecessary
legislation".
The 50 representatives are:
*
Raul Grijalva
Raul, Raúl and Raül are the Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Galician, Asturian, Basque, Aragonese, and Catalan forms of the Anglo-Germanic given name Ralph or Rudolph. They are cognates of the French Raoul.
Raul, Raúl or Raül may re ...
(
D) representing
Arizona's 3rd congressional district
*
Mike Thompson (D) representing
California's 5th congressional district
California's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in California.
The district is located in the northern San Joaquin Valley and central Sierra Nevada. The district includes all of Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mar ...
*
Barbara Lee (D) representing
California's 13th congressional district
*
Jackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier ( ; born May 14, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for , serving in Congress since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 12th Distr ...
(D) representing
California's 14th congressional district
California's 14th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, has represented the district since January 2023.
Currently, the 14th district is in Alameda County and includes th ...
*
Eric Swalwell (D) representing
California's 15th congressional district
California's 15th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by .
Currently, the district includes most of San Mateo County and the southeast side of San Francisco. ...
*
Ro Khanna (D) representing
California's 17th congressional district
*
Anna Eshoo
Anna A. Eshoo ( ; née Georges; born December 13, 1942) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from . She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 14th district from 1993 to 2013, is based in Silico ...
(D) representing
California's 18th congressional district
*
Judy Chu (D) representing
California's 27th congressional district
*
Adam Schiff
Adam Bennett Schiff (born June 22, 1960) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who has served as a U.S. representative since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented since 2013.
Schiff's district (numbered as the 2 ...
(D) representing
California's 28th congressional district
California's 28th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California, in Los Angeles County. The district is regarded as a Democratic stronghold and has been held by the Democratic Party since 2003 and is curren ...
*
Tony Cardenas
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...
(D) representing
California's 29th congressional district
California's 29th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in the north central San Fernando Valley. The district is represented by .
It includes the city of San Fernando, as well as the Los Ang ...
*
Jimmy Gomez (D) representing
California's 34th congressional district
California's 34th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in California. Located in Los Angeles County, the district is represented by Democrat Jimmy Gomez. Its previous U.S. representative, Democrat Xavier Becerra of Los Ange ...
*
Gil Cisneros
Gilbert Ray Cisneros Jr. (born February 12, 1971) is an American government official, philanthropist, and politician who serves as Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the Biden administration. A member of the Democratic Part ...
(D) representing
California's 39th congressional district
California's 39th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California.
The district includes parts of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, and includes Fullerton, La Habra, La Habra Heights, Brea, Bue ...
*
Katie Porter (D) representing
California's 45th congressional district
California's 45th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California currently represented by Republican Michelle Steel. It was one of 18 districts that voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election while ...
*
Alan Lowenthal (D) representing
California's 47th congressional district
California's 47th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is centered in Long Beach, extends into the western Orange County cities of Garden Grove, Westminster, Stanton, Buena Park, ...
*
Juan Vargas
Juan Carlos Vargas (born March 7, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who has been the U.S. representative for California since 2013. His district includes all of Imperial County and the southernmost portions of San Diego County.
V ...
(D) representing
California's 51st congressional district
*
Susan Davis (D) representing
California's 53rd congressional district
*
Rosa DeLauro (D) representing
Connecticut's 3rd congressional district
*
Ted Deutch
Theodore Eliot Deutch ( ; born May 7, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from Florida's 22nd congressional district from 2010 to 2022. His district, numbered as ...
(D) representing
Florida's 22nd congressional district
Florida's 22nd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Southeast Florida. It encompasses the coastline of Broward County to southern Palm Beach County. The district includes Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and par ...
*
Hank Johnson (D) representing
Georgia's 4th congressional district
Georgia's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is currently represented by Democrat Hank Johnson, though the district's boundaries have been redrawn following the 2010 census, which ...
*
Bobby Rush (D) representing
Illinois's 1st congressional district
*
Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D) representing
Illinois's 4th congressional district
The 4th congressional district of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Jesús "Chuy" García since January 2019.
In November 2017, incumbent Luis Gutiérrez announced that he would retire from Congress at ...
*
Danny K. Davis
Daniel K. Davis (born September 6, 1941) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative from , elected in 1996. The district serves much of western Chicago, including the Loop. It also includes several of Chicago's inner western suburb ...
(D) representing
Illinois's 7th congressional district
The 7th congressional district of Illinois covers parts of Cook County, as of the 2011 redistricting that followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Bellwood, Chicago, Forest Park, Oak Park, Maywood, and Westchester are included. Democrat Dan ...
*
Jan Schakowsky
Janice Schakowsky ( ; née Danoff; born May 26, 1944) is an American politician who has served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative from since 1999. She is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat ...
(D) representing
Illinois's 9th congressional district
*
Jamie Raskin
Jamin Ben Raskin (born December 13, 1962) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Maryland State Senate fr ...
(D) representing
Maryland's 8th congressional district
*
Jim McGovern (D) representing
Massachusetts' 2nd congressional district
Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district is located in central Massachusetts (Central Massachusetts is the geographically central region of Massachusetts). It contains the cities of Worcester, which is the second-largest city in New England af ...
*
Stephen F. Lynch
Stephen Francis Lynch (born March 31, 1955) is an American businessman, attorney and politician who has served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts since 2001. He is a Democrat representing Massachusetts's 8th co ...
(D) representing
Massachusetts' 8th congressional district
*
Andy Levin
Andrew Saul Levin (born August 10, 1960) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Levin was elected to the House in 2018, succeeding his retiring father, Sander L ...
(D) representing
Michigan's 9th congressional district
Michigan's 9th congressional district is a United States congressional district located in parts of Oakland County and Macomb County in the southeast areas of the State of Michigan. It includes the communities of Ferndale, Royal Oak, Hazel P ...
*
Dean Phillips
Dean Benson Phillips (born January 20, 1969) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 3rd congressional district since 2019. The district encompasses the western suburbs of the Twin Citi ...
(D) representing
Minnesota's 3rd congressional district
Minnesota's 3rd congressional district encompasses the suburbs of Hennepin, Carver, and Anoka counties to the west, south, and north of Minneapolis. The district, which is mostly suburban in character, includes a few farming communities on ...
*
Betty McCollum (D) representing
Minnesota's 4th congressional district
Minnesota's 4th congressional district covers nearly all of Ramsey County, and part of Washington County. It includes all of St. Paul, and most of its suburbs. The district is solidly Democratic, with a CPVI of D+14. It is currently repres ...
*
Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
(D) representing
Minnesota's 5th congressional district
Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey countie ...
*
Chris Smith (
R) representing
New Jersey's 4th congressional district
*
Deb Haaland (D) representing
New Mexico's 1st congressional district
*
Nydia Velazquez (D) representing
New York's 7th congressional district
New York's 7th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Democrat Nydia Velázquez represents the district in Congre ...
*
Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn Jane Maloney (née Bosher, February 19, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013, and for from 1993 to 2013. The district includes most of Manhattan's East Side, Astoria and Long Island City i ...
(D) representing
New York's 12th congressional district
*
Adriano Espaillat
Adriano de Jesús Espaillat Rodríguez (; born September 27, 1954) is a Dominican-American politician. He is the U.S. representative for and the first Dominican American and first formerly undocumented immigrant to ever serve in Congress. He pre ...
(D) representing
New York's 13th congressional district
New York's 13th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City, represented by Adriano Espaillat. The district is the smallest congressional district by area in the U.S.
The ...
*
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...
(D) representing
New York's 14th congressional district
*
Jose E. Serrano (D) representing
New York's 15th congressional district
New York's 15th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in New York City, State of New York. The district has been represented by Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021.
The 15th di ...
*
Eliot Engel
Eliot Lance Engel (; born February 18, 1947) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from New York from 1989 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented a district covering portions of the north Bronx and sou ...
(D) representing
New York's 16th congressional district
New York's 16th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives represented by Jamaal Bowman.
The 16th district includes the northern Bronx and the southern half of Westchester County, includin ...
*
Paul Tonko (D)representing
New York's 20th congressional district
The 20th congressional district of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York's Capital District. It includes all of Albany and Schenectady counties, and portions of Montgomery, Rensselaer ...
*
Marcy Kaptur
Marcia Carolyn Kaptur (; born June 17, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 1983. A member of the Democratic Party, Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in either chamber of Congress, and the second-longest ...
(D) representing
Ohio's 9th congressional district
Ohio's 9th congressional district has been represented by Representative Marcy Kaptur ( D) since 1983.
This district is in the northern part of the state, bordering Michigan and Ontario, Canada (via Lake Erie), and includes portions of Cuyahog ...
*
Suzanne Bonamici (D) representing
Oregon's 1st congressional district
Oregon's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S state of Oregon. The district stretches from Portland's western suburbs and exurbs, to parts of the Oregon coast. The district includes the principal cities of ...
*
Earl Blumenauer (D) representing
Oregon's 3rd congressional district
Oregon's 3rd congressional district covers most of Multnomah County, including Gresham, Troutdale, and most of Portland east of the Willamette River (parts of Northwest and Southwest Portland lie in the 1st and 5th districts). It also in ...
*
Brian Fitzpatrick (R) representing
Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district
*
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eddie Bernice Johnson (born December 3, 1935) is an American politician who represents Texas's in the United States House of Representatives. Johnson is a member of the Democratic Party.
Elected in 1992, Johnson was the first registered nurse ...
(D) representing
Texas's 30th congressional district
Texas's 30th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives covers much of the city of Dallas and other parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties (primarily black- and Hispanic-majority areas). The district contains the Univer ...
*
Colin Allred
Colin Zachary Allred (born April 15, 1983) is an American politician, lawyer, and former professional football player. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the U.S. representative from . The district includes the northeastern corner of Dallas, ...
(D) representing
Texas's 32nd congressional district
Texas's 32nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives serves a suburban area of northeastern Dallas County and a sliver of Collin and Denton counties. The district was created after the 2000 United States census, whe ...
*
Peter Welch
Peter Francis Welch (born May 2, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician who is a United States senator-elect from Vermont, and the current U.S. representative for since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been a major figure in ...
(D) representing
Vermont's at-large congressional district
*
Bobby Scott (politician) (D) representing
Virginia's 3rd congressional district
*
Pramila Jayapal (D) representing
Washington's 7th congressional district
*
Mark Pocan
Mark William Pocan ( ; born August 14, 1964) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is based in the state capital, Madison. A member of th ...
(D) representing
Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district
Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southern Wisconsin, covering Dane County, Iowa County, Lafayette County, Sauk County and Green County, as well as portions of ...
*
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) representing
District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
United Nations
On June 30, 2020, at the 44th regular session of the
UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has criticized the then proposed bill saying it could have a "chilling effect" on human rights work in the country and called for restraint on signing the bill from President Duterte.
Amnesty International
Nicholas Bequelin,
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
's Asia-Pacific Regional Director, has said upon hearing news of the law being signed:
Greenpeace
The Southeast Asia office of
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...
urged the repeal of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 due to its "sweeping definition of terrorism" which it said could be abused to stifle dissent.
Others
''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' called the bill's enactment as "another nail in the coffin of the Philippines' waning democracy." ''
The Diplomat
''The Diplomat'' is an international online news magazine covering politics, society, and culture in the Indo-Pacific region. It is based in Washington, D.C.
It was originally an Australian bi-monthly print magazine, founded by Minh Bui Jones ...
'' has stated that the law "takes aim at dissent." While
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
notes that the law is "poised to cause more terror." Various international artists have expressed dissent against the legislation, including
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
. Swedish environmental activist
Greta Thunberg
Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation.
Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...
also joined the petition against anti-terrorism law.
Local
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
On July 2, 2020, the
Bangsamoro Parliament
, legislature = 2nd BTA (Interim) Parliament
, linking_name =
, coa_pic = Bangsamoro_Parliament_Seal.png
, coa_res =
, session_room = File:BARMM lawmakers refile local governance code.jpg
, sessi ...
passed a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the anti-terrorism bill, arguing that it would lead to abuses and would unfairly target
Muslim Filipinos
Islam was the first-recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines in the 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf, southern India, and their followers from several sultanates in th ...
who have historically faced
religious discrimination
Religious discrimination is treating a person or group differently because of the particular beliefs which they hold about a religion. This includes instances when adherents of different religions, denominations or non-religions are treated u ...
. After the passage of the bill into law, Chief Minister
Murad Ebrahim
Ahod Balawag Ebrahim (born 15 May 1949), better known as Al-hajj Murad Ebrahim, is a Moro Filipino politician and former rebel leader currently serving as the first chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
As the cu ...
released a statement saying that Bangsamoro regional government fully respects President Duterte's decision to sign the bill into law and that it would seek representation in the Anti-Terrorism Council. In response, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque pointed out that the law does not provide for a council seat for the Bangsamoro regional government although the same law mandates the council to coordinate with the autonomous region's government.
Philippine Independence Day protests
More than 1,000 students and
human rights activists gathered inside the
UP Diliman
, image = University of The Philippines seal.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = Official Logo of UP Diliman
, motto = Honor and Excellence
, established = February 12, 194 ...
campus on June 12, 2020, coinciding on
122nd Independence Day from Spanish colonial rule, dubbed it as "Grand Mañanita".
They called for the government to "junk" the proposed bill stating fears that it would curtail basic human rights and freedom of speech and dissent. The rally was held despite a government ban on mass gatherings under the
general community quarantine in
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
and other parts of the country because of the pandemic. Protesters could be seen wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Similar demonstrations were held by activists in various cities such as
Baguio
Baguio ( ,
), officially the City of Baguio ( ilo, Siudad ti Baguio; fil, Lungsod ng Baguio), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
,
Legazpi, and
Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
. Demonstrations were also held at other universities such as the
De La Salle University
De La Salle University ( fil, Pamantasang De La Salle or Unibersidad ng De La Salle), also referred to as DLSU, De La Salle or La Salle, is a private university, private, Catholic Church, Catholic coeducational research university run by the I ...
in Manila.
Activist Mae Paner also present at the event, dressed up like Metro Manila Police Chief
Debold Sinas
Debold Menorias Sinas (born May 8, 1965) is a Filipino retired police general who served as Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from November 2020 to May 2021. During his tenure, he oversaw the COVID-19 community quarantines in the Ph ...
who was faced controversy over his birthday celebration on May 8, 2020, which the police called it "Mananita".
[
]
Churches and religious organizations
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines, a fellowship of ten Philippine Protestant denominations, denounced the bill as "a travesty against God's will as it gives the government, or even just a few persons in the Anti-terrorism Council, the absolute power that determines what course people's lives will take by putting forward a very vague definition of terrorism." The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
had likewise expressed reservations about the bill, saying "We firmly believe this Act imperils the rights of Filipinos and sense of dignity which, having its origin in God, our laws are called to uphold and protect." The PCEC specifically cited "vague definitions of terrorism, and the extended period of warrantless detention, which opens the way to serious abuses of a person's rights and dignity" as reasons for concern.
Others
The National Federation of Peasant Women (Amihan) have said that the rising cases of red-tagging in the country confirm the prevalent criticisms against the controversial legislation. The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), which brings together the heads of men and women religious orders in the country, have expressed their dissent against the law, which they say may "assault human dignity and human rights." Various Filipino artists have also expressed disappointment and dissent against the signing of the bill. Members of the Filipino art community have also expressed their dissent. But Dr. Rommel C. Banlaoi, Chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism defends the need to have a new Philippine anti-terrorism law as threats of terrorism in the Philippines have escalated even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, Dr. Banlaoi encourages those opposed to the anti-terrorism law to continue what they are doing in order to remain vigilant and to ensure human rights protection during the implementation of the said law.
Celebrities, including former Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...
titlists Gloria Diaz
Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (; born 10 March 1951) is a Filipino actress of film and television, model and beauty queen who rose to fame after being crowned Miss Universe 1969, becoming the first Filipino to hold the Miss Universe title.
Early ...
, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray, voiced their opposition to the bill.
Youth
The UP Diliman also took a knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
and the fight against police brutality after George Floyd was murdered by the police officer while being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill in Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.
Seven protesters from University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
and one bystander who were condemning the controversial anti-terror bill were arrested in Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
for alleged violations of general community quarantine (GCQ) guidelines. Dubbed as "Cebu 8", the detainees have spent 36 hours in detention.[ PNP Central Visayas denied the allegations that they used excessive force to disperse the anti-terror bill protests.
Following the protests against the controversial anti-terrorism bill, several cloned Facebook accounts have been created on the platform. It started with ]University of the Philippines Cebu
The University of the Philippines Cebu (; ; also referred to as UPC or UP Cebu) is a public research university and the youngest constituent university of the University of the Philippines System located in Cebu City, the capital city of Cebu pr ...
on June 6, 2020, who have been targeted by the newly created, duplicated Facebook accounts of themselves.[ It later targeted the residents in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Dumaguete, and Cagayan de Oro City, and other areas, who have engaged in protests against the bill.] As a result, the hashtag #HandsOffOurStudents trended on Twitter, which the netizens condemned the creation of fake accounts. Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra expressed concern over the matter and ordered the agency's cybercrime division to coordinate with the NBI and the PNP to investigate the matter.
See also
* List of Philippine laws
* Human Security Act of 2007
* Red-tagging in the Philippines
* Hong Kong National Security Law
References
{{Rodrigo Duterte
2020 in law
2020 in the Philippines
2020 controversies
Philippine legislation
Duterte administration controversies
Terrorism laws