Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
27 June 2018
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) assails proposals by fascists in Congress to sharpen the fangs of the reviled Republic Act No. 9372 or the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007. If such proposals are passed, these would expressly serve to reinforce the repressive regime in the face of the increasing insecurity of Duterte’s rule.
Passed under the Arroyo regime, the HSA was patterned after the anti-terror US Patriot Act. It was then heavily lobbied by the US imperialists in line with its “war on terror.” Authored by Marcos martial law-era defense minister Juan Ponce Enrile, the HSA contains overly broad and ambigous provisions that can be utilized to easily tag and proscribe democratic people’s organizations as terrorist groups, and arbitrarily criminalize any and all critics and political opponents of the regime.
With the proposed amendments, the HSA’s fangs will be further sharpened, further broaden Duterte’s autocratic powers and serve his plan to strengthen his tyrannical rule.
Under the proposed amendments pushed by militarist-minded solons Amado Espino Jr., Gary Alejano, and Leopoldo Bataoil—all former police and military officials—a redefinition of terrorism will make it further encompassing and allow the reactionary state to arbitrarily and almost automatically tag any act of resistance or political dissent as terrorism. It will consider terrorists those who commit felonies “to intimidate a population, or to compel a government, an international organization, or any person or entity, to do or to abstain from doing any act.”
The proposed amendments also empower the state to conduct electronic or physical surveillance on anyone based on mere suspicion. The draft bill also intensifies the punishments and even encourages the use of torture and other inhuman acts against individuals held in custody.
Duterte is the first president to employ the HSA when he issued proclamation 374 declaring the CPP and NPA as “terrorists.” He also threatened to outlaw legal progressive and democratic organizations under the Terrorism Finance Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012. Subsequently, the Department of Justice filed a case last February that seeks to proscribe the CPP and the New People’s Army as terrorist organizations, naming at least 657 activists, political personalities, National Democratic Front (NDF) peace consultants and other individuals as supposed leaders and members of the CPP and NPA, drawing widespread domestic and international denunciation.
The proposed amendments to the HSA will provide Duterte legal cover for his rising dictatorial rule. Accordingly, if the amendments aiming to further strengthen HSA are passed, there will be no more need to formally declare martial law, as this patently fascist measure will already suffice.
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