MANILA – Two religious groups which are running major educational institutions in the country had issued a joint statement appealing to President Rodrigo R. Duterte to veto the proposed version of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and instead offered their help to craft a more acceptable anti-terrorism measure with the government.
The 18th Congress has promised to hand-over the final copy of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 to the Office of the President in Malacañang this week for signing.
The house of representatives had unequivocally passed House Bill No. 6875 in third and final reading before the adjournment of congress on June 4, just a few days after President Rodrigo R. Duterte certified the bill as urgent. H.B. No. 6875 is a similar version of Senate Bill No. 1083 passed and approved by the senate in February 2020.
Signed by seven prominent officials of the congregation of Brothers of the Christian Schools or the De La Salle Brothers and nine from the congregation of Society of Jesus, the joint statement strongly registered their opposition to the said bill.
They cited the ill-timing of the passage of the said security measure while the country is coping with the challenges of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Many have died and continue to suffer from the pandemic.
The statement says, “Our health systems and personnel are stretched to their limits. Many have lost jobs and are hungry. At this time, our priorities should be shoring up our health system, providing support to our health workers, ensuring food for our communities, stimulating the economy and providing jobs for our people.”
They also said the terror bill adds to the people’s anxieties and fears because there are some provisions in the bill that may be misinterpreted and abused by those in power. It said “Instead of being a measure to protect our people, in the wrong hands, this bill can be used to oppress our people.”
While acknowledging the need for a stronger anti-terrorism law in the country, the group offered to work with the government of a law that addresses the legitimate concerns of human rights groups and ordinary folks about terrorism.
“We can then all work together to craft a better version that can uproot terrorism while addressing the people’s concerns about their basic rights. By so doing, we will not be divided in countering terrorism,” their statement further states.
