Anti-Terrorism Act cannot win
against terrorism!
Fight for A Democratic,
Ecological and Peoples’-Centered Philippines!
It
was either to let it lapse into law or sign. Duterte preferred to sign it last
3 July 2020. To veto is not his option.
The
passage of the ATA or Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (Republic Act 11479) and
signing it into law have just spoken who and what this administration really is
and intends to do – sow terror and stifle the voices of the dissent, a tyrant.
Proven
in the past administrations, war and attack to the democratic demands and
criticisms only heightened rebellions and resistance. The neglect to the
democratic demands of the peoples and communities have provided a space for the
extreme and violent tendencies. And the new Anti-Terrorism law is a desperate
answer to these from the very start.
We
believe that the new ATA is a systemic assault to silent the democratic demands
of the peoples for a meaningful, democratic, just, pro-people, pro-environment,
pro-human rights governance and society. This is in fact an
institutionalization of the militarist framework in dealing with social and
democratic aspirations of the peoples and sectors, criticisms and dissents. This
can also be weaponized against the massive clamor for accountability in the
government’s COVID-19 pandemic response that is maligned with corruption and
abuse of authority issues. Of the same extent, it could be used against the political
oppositions in the upcoming 2022 National elections for a mere ‘suspicion’ of
being affiliates and supporter of terrorist groups.
Mindanao
in most cases have been a witness and even destroyed by the Anti-Terrorism
campaign of the world that for most cases, have targeted BangsaMoro and
Indigenous Peoples asserting for their Right to Self-Determination and
Ancestral Domains; the peasant, fisherfolks and rural populations aspiring for
land reform and tenure; the social and political activists struggling for their
respective rights and welfare; and the rest of the populations resisting
development aggression by the collaborating multi-national agribusiness, mining
corporations and political lords. The prevalent connivance of the political
oligarchs, capitalists and corrupt law enforcers to repress peoples’ and
community’s democratic assertions could even be justified using ATA.
The
Duterte administration and its allies in the Lower House, the Senate and the security
sector should be reminded that the 1987 Philippine Constitution remains the highest
law of the country. In fact, this 1987 Philippine Constitution (that the
current Duterte administration keeps on undermining) is a product of that
historic people’s resistance in the country that toppled down the tyrant Marcos.
We
demand to the Supreme Court to automatically declare Republic Act 11479 or ATA
unconstitutional.
We
call on all justice, peace, democracy and human rights loving individuals,
organizations and movements to stand and resist by all necessary means all
forms of abuse and repressions.
While
we stand against all forms of violence and terrorism, we cannot gamble our
inherent rights as persons, peoples and communities. Further let us demand foods,
medicines and wellness – a community and people-centered pandemic response and
NOT threats, bullets and lies in this trying times.
Let
us be of full vigilance and don’t lost a sight to the fight for a democratic,
sustainable, ecological and pro-peoples socio-economic and political future.
Let
us overcome the CoVID-19 pandemic and the threats to democracy and human
dignity together.
MindanaOne
katipunanmindanao@gmail.com
July
4, 2020
#ScrapTerrorLaw #ResistTyranny
