Activism is not terrorism

Activism is not terrorism
Postede by Belqarmino DEabalos Saguing
Rome, Italy 16 April 2018

(image furnished by the author)

Under President Duterte, terrorist tagging came to a new height after the souring of the GRP/NDFP peace negotiation and soon after its unexpected closure, the Philippine President began to equate the activism of progressive groups and Human Rights advocates to terrorism.

Since the “drug war” began on June 30, 2016, Duterte and his officials have publicly reviled, humiliated and It is no secret that the state has tried to thwart activivism since the coming to power of President, in one instance, jailed human rights advocates. “President Duterte has not only resisted calls to end his brutal ‘drug war,’ but has used populist rhetoric to disparage the brave activists who have been investigating and denouncing his cruel campaign,” said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director. “Since Duterte will never undertake a serious investigation into the ‘war on drugs,’ it’s up to the United Nations to support an international investigation and bring the mass killings to a stop.”

With this, the Presidency of Mr. Duterte is throwing due process, rule of law and human rights into the bin.

The DOJ came out last February 21, 2018 of a collection of names to be considered as terrorist under the Philippines’ Human Security Act. The list of supposed terrorist includes 461 names, along with 188 aliases, among them are UN Rapporteurs, human rights defenders, and leaders of indigenous peoples.

The voluminous number of aliases, including John and Jane Does, opens up virtually anyone, including migrants, for attack. The blanket list can be used by the police to extort money from anyone, by falsely adding their names under John and Jane Does or any among the many aliases.

This list is made worst by the law giving subpoena power to the police. Fresh are the experiences of laglag-bala (planting bullets inside luggage) where Immigration police extort money from migrants and tourist alike, by accusing them of carrying bullets in their luggage, a transgression which can prevent a person from boarding their flight, aside from detention. But the list above increases the areas where extortion can happen.  

This list is made worst by the law giving subpoena power to the police.

 Fresh are the experiences of laglag-bala (planting bullets inside luggage) where Immigration police extort money from migrants and tourist alike, by accusing them of carrying bullets in their luggage, a transgression which can prevent a person from boarding their flight, aside from detention. But the list above increases the areas where extortion can happen.

More than 12,000 suspected drug users and dealers, mostly from poor families in urban centers across the country, are estimated to have died in the “drug war,” including an estimated 4,000 during operations led by the police and the remainder by “unidentified gunmen.” This has goaded some of the relatives of the victims into activism. That could hardly be considered as “terrorism” in their part.

Stop the killings!

Drop the list!

 Activism is not terrorism!

No to witch-hunt! No to extortion!

Respect human rights!

 

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