{"id":3785,"date":"2020-06-08T19:55:03","date_gmt":"2020-06-08T11:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.350.org\/philippines\/?p=3785"},"modified":"2020-06-08T20:02:11","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T12:02:11","slug":"3785-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.350.org\/philippines\/3785-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Activism is not terrorism"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chuck Baclagon<\/strong><\/p>\n

While communities, especially the most vulnerable ones, grapple with the double threat of the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, the Philippine government is fast-tracking a bill<\/a> that undermines constitutionally protected rights to political expression and dissent by equating activism with terrorist activities.<\/p>\n

I believe this is not the right time to pass a bill that could hinder citizens from speaking out. Activism plays a crucial role in empowering you and me to demand accountability from our elected leaders.<\/p>\n

Will you write your local representative to demand that they withdraw their support to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, I will write to my representative<\/a><\/p>\n

The draft law uses an overbroad definition of terrorism \u2013 a cause for alarm for the civil society community in the Philippines as those could intensify the climate of government oppression across the country.<\/p>\n

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#JunkTerrorBill<\/a> This provides a 60 to 90 day-wire tapping period, and warrantless arrest, detention up to 30 days of suspected terrorists. It has no safeguards for the protection of human rights, redress of grievances. This can be weaponized to silence critics, suppress dissent.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sarah Elago (@sarahelago) May 29, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n