New rights bill all Red 'propaganda'

From the Manila Times (Feb 11, 2022): New rights bill all Red 'propaganda' (By Franz R. Sumangil)

THE Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-Elcac) of Soccsksargen (Region 12) has again questioned the Human Rights Defenders Bill, describing it as "dangerous."

According to Director Eduardo Marquez of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency-12, also a member of the RTF-Elcac, the bill is nothing but a "propaganda" of communist organizations to allow human rights defenders in Congress to advance their deceits.

Marquez said the bill could serve and protect the interests of dissident organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

If passed into law, he also said the measure will open the floodgates of supposed abuse and torment of the people by the CPP-NPA-NDF and other radicals.

The bill, Marquez added, will make the Anti-Terrorism Law that was recently declared constitutional by the Supreme Court ineffective and toothless.

"Every individual can be considered as a human rights defender and this should not be selective. What's bad about this is that the human rights issue has been exploited or abused to discredit the government and romanticize the agenda of some individuals or groups who have the intention to demonize the government like what these communist groups are doing," he said.

Calling it a "ludicrous" bill, Marquez also said it defines who are and are not "human rights defenders," a definition so broad that, according to him, even the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the Abu Sayyaf Group and the CPP-NPA-NDF can be regarded as rights defenders.

The approved bill is a consolidated version of proposed bills from House members Albay First District Rep. Edcel Lagman, Quezon City Sixth District Rep. Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte, and the Makabayan bloc, including Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate, Eufemia Cullamat and Ferdinand Gaite, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro and Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago.

The proposal was approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading on Jan. 17, 2022 with 200 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and no abstentions.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/02/11/news/regions/new-rights-bill-all-red-propaganda/1832535