Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. Senate PRIB and INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Focus on public transport, mass testing, economic recovery, not the anti-terror bill.
At least two senators issued this call on Tuesday following President Rodrigo Duterte’s urgent certification of the proposed anti-terror law.
While the measure is seen to toughen up the country’s anti-terrorism policies, various groups raised concerns that this would spur human rights violations.
“Terrorized na ang mga kababayan natin dahil sa COVID-19, ang nakakamatay at nakakahawang sakit. Mas na-te-terrorize pa dahil sa kawalan ng trabaho at hanapbuhay na dulot ng iba’t ibang klase ng lockdown na pinataw sa ating mamamayan at ekonomiya,” Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a statement.
(Our fellow Filipinos have already been terrorized by COVID-19, the fatal and infectious disease. We are further terrorized due to the lack of jobs triggered by government-imposed lockdowns).
“I believe it is open to abuse. This is one compelling reason why I voted against it,” he said in a separate message to reporters.
Pangilinan, alongside Senator Risa Hontiveros, voted against the anti-terrorism bill when it was passed on third and final reading in the Senate last February.
READ: Anti-terror bill gets final Senate nod; 2 senators vote against measure
Meanwhile, both the House Committees on Public Order and Safety and on Defense and Security recently adopted the Senate’s version of the measure
READ: Two House panels approve anti-terror bill
“Pagtuunan ng pansin ang mga walang masakyang public transport ngayong GCQ (general community quarantine), ang mass testing at contact tracing, at pagbangon ulit ng ating kabuhayan,” Pangilinan went on.
(We should focus our attention to the commuters who are struggling with mobility under the newly-enforced GCQ, mass testing, contact tracing and recover employment).
“Whole of government ‘di ba? Heal as one di ba? Gamot ba ang panukalang batas sa COVID-19 o gagamiting panakip-butas sa mga kapalpakan? Paano pigilan ang paglaganap ng COVID-19 at paano ibangon ang nakadapa nating ekonomiya ang bigyan ng panahon at solusyon, huwag ang anti-terror bill,” he added.
(Whole of government, right? Heal as one, right? Will this proposed measure treat COVID-19 or is this just a cover-up for the failures? How we can contain the spread of the virus and lift the economy up must be given the time and solution, not the anti-terror bill).
For her part, Hontiveros said concerns raised by organizations and several other lawmakers on the anti-terror bill are “valid” and should be looked into.
“COVID-19 ang kalaban, pero itong anti-terrorism bill ang isinalang,” she said in a message.
(COVID-19 is the enemy but the anti-terrorism bill is being presented).
“Valid at dapat pakinggan ang concerns ng publiko tungkol sa bill. Ang hiling nila ay maayos na programa para sa kanilang kaligtasan laban sa kinakaharap nating pandemic. Hindi ba dapat nandoon ang prayoridad natin?” she added.
(It is valid and we should listen to the concerns of the public about the bill. What they are wishing for is a good program for their safety against the pandemic. Shouldn’t that be the priority?)