Filipino migrant organizations and migrants rights advocates across different countries around the world unanimously express our strongest opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Bill which undermines democracy in the Philippines. Any attempt to nullify due process and equal protection before the law must be rejected. The Constitution provides that no law shall be enacted depriving any person of his life, liberty and property without due process of law. Warrantless arrests and arbitrary detentions for up to 24 days deprive accused persons of their right to legal remedy and are contradictory to the bill of rights enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.
Despite the hundreds of billions of funds allocated for intelligence, the police and the military, there was still no assessment made on the implementation of the Human Security Act. This means that there are no concrete reasons that should compel Congress to enact the Anti-Terrorism Bill which creates conditions harsher than what Filipinos have had during the Martial Law period of the Marcos dictatorship.
It is deplorable that at the height of the global pandemic and economic crisis, the government is prioritizing a bill that enables the weaponization of the law to criminalize legitimate dissent. There has been no attempt at all from the Duterte government to solve the extrajudicial killings perpetrated against rights activists and community defenders. Instead, the open pronouncements of death threats live on national television has become the new normal as the predominating culture of impunity becomes even more glaring. And these threats are being fulfilled by lawless state elements.
With more than 200 thousand distressed OFWs stranded overseas, Filipino migrants agonize over the fact that the Anti-Terrorism Bill has been prioritized by the Duterte government over more pressing and urgent calls for amendments on the Universal Healthcare Act which imposes mandatory Philhealth and premium rate hike on overseas Filipinos. What the Filipino people really need at this period are mass testing, mass transportation, food relief, quality healthcare services, adequate quarantine facilities, and financial amelioration.
We appeal to our legislators to listen to the real time demands of their constituents by delivering the urgent needs of the Filipino people at this period of crisis.
Signed:
- Migrante International
- International Seafarers’ Action Center
- United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
- Abra Migrant Workers Welfare Association
- Association of Concerned Filipinos
- Cuyapo OFW Association Hong Kong
- Filipino Friends
- Filipino Lesbian Organization
- Filipino Migrant Domestic Workers Union
- Filipino Migrants Association
- Filipino Women Migrant Association
- Friends of Bethune House
- Likha Filipino Migrants Cultural Organization
- Luzviminda Migrante
- Migrante Naguilian
- Migrante Pier
- Migrante Shatin
- Migrante Tamar
- Migrante Tsing Ti
- Migrante Tsuen Wan
- Migrante Yuen Long
- Migranteng Artista ng Bayan
- Organic Cultural and Environmental Organization
- Philippine Independent Church Choir
- Pinatud A Saleng Ti Umili (PSU)
- Pangasinan Organization for Welfare, Empowerment and Rights
- Samahang Migrante
- Sta Maria Migrants Association
- Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union (FMWU)
- FMWU City Hall Chapter
- FMWU Chater Garden Chapter
- FMWU Chater Road Chapter
- Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society
- Annak ti Maeng Tubo-HK
- Baggak Cultural Group
- Bangued Migrants Workers Association
- Bucay Migrants Workers
- Bucloc Overseas Workers Association
- Ganagan San Juan Association
- Lacub Migrants
- Lagangilang Overseas Association
- Langiden Migrants Organization
- Lapaz Migrants Association
- Licuan-Baay HK Association
- Maeng Tribe of Abra Luba-HK
- Malibcong Migrants Association
- Timpuyog Ti Tayum
- BAYAN Hong Kong & Macau
- Cordillera Alliance Hong Kong (CORALL)
- GABRIELA Hong Kong
- Gabriela Hong Kong Bank
- Filguys Association
- Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR) – Hong Kong
- Anakbayan Europe
- International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – Europe
- Migrante Partylist – Europe
- Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) – Europe
- Migrante Austria
- Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium (UPB)
- Migrante Cyprus
- FOA – Au Pair – Demark
- Migrante Denmark
- Nagkakaisang Pilipino sa Pransya (NPSP)
- GABRIELA – Germany
- GABRIELA – Roma
- Migrante Bologna
- Migrante Caserta
- Migrante Firenze
- Migrante Mantova
- Migrante Milano
- Milan OFW Kapitbisig
- UMANGAT – Migrante
- GABRIELA Switzerland
- Migrante Bern
- Kabalikat
- Linangan
- Makabayang Samahang Pilipino (MkSP)
- Migrante Amsterdam
- Migrante Netherlands Den Haag
- Migrante Utrecht
- Pinay sa Holland – GABRIELA
- Samahan ng mga Kabataan sa Netherlands (SAMAKA-NL)
- Bayanihan Leicester
- Campaign for the Human Rights in the Philippines-UK
- Filipino Domestic Workers Alliance (FDWA)
- GABRIELA London
- Kanlungan Filipino Consortium
- Migrante Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Gabriela Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- FAPS INTERNATIONAL – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Samahang Migrante Manggagawa Nagkakaisa sa Riyadh (SAMAKABA-MIGRANTE) – KSA
- JEDDAH FILIPINO SOCIETY – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- Migrante Qatar
- Gabriela United Arab Emirates
- Migrante Seattle, USA
- Migrante Portland, USA
- Migrante Napa-Solano, USA
- Migrante Daly City, USA
- PAWIS East Bay, USA
- PAWIS San Jose, USA
- Migrante Los Angeles, USA
- Migrante Long Beach, USA
- Migrante Orange County, USA
- Migrante New York, USA
- Migrante New Jersey, USA
- Migrante Youth New York, USA
- Migrante Chicago, USA
- Migrante Washington D.C., USA
- Anakbayan Washington DC
- Anakbayan Daly City, USA
- Anakbayan East Bay, USA
- Anakbayan De Anza, USA
- Anakbayan Silicon Valley, USA
- Anakbayan Santa Cruz, USA
- Anakbayan Los Angeles, USA
- Anakbayan University of California, Los Angeles, USA
- Anakbayan University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
- Anakbayan San Diego, USA
- Anakbayan Long Beach, USA
- Anakbayan Hawai’i, USA
- Anakbayan Chicago, USA
- Anakbayan University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
- Anakbayan Detroit, USA
- Anakbayan Queens, USA
- Anakbayan Manhattan, USA
- Anakbayan North Jersey, USA
- Anakbayan Rutgers, USA
- Anakbayan Washington, D.C., USA
- Anakbayan Atlanta, USA
- League of Filipino Students San Francisco State University, USA
- Migrante Manitoba, Canada
- Migrante BC, Canada,
- Migrante Alberta, Canada
- Migrante Ontario, Canada
- Migrante Ottawa, Canada
- Alberta Care Workers Association, Canada
- Kabisig Society of Fort Saskatchewan
- Philippine Migrant Society of Canada (PMSC)
- PINAY, Canada
- Association of Filipino Parents, Quebec, Canada
- Filipino Indigenous Association of Quebec, Canada
- Aklanon Association
- Migrante Canada
- MIGRANTE Aotearoa New Zealand
- MIGRANTE Aotearoa – Palmerston North
- MIGRANTE Aotearoa – Christchurch
- PINAY Aotearoa – New Zealand
- Migrante Builders Aotearoa
- Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG), NEW ZEALAND
- MIGRANTE Australia
- Lingap Migrante – Western Sydney Australia
- Migrante North Hornsby, Sydney Australia
- Migrante South West – Sydney
- Philippines Australia Women’s Association
- Migrante Kultura
- Migrante Melbourne
- Migrante Melbourne East
- Migrante Melbourne North – Samahang Tatak Pinoy
- Migrante Melbourne Northeast
- Migrante Melbourne West
- Migrante Perth, Australia
- Advance League of People’s Artists (ALPA), Australia
- AnakBayan Sydney
- AnakBayan Melbourne
- BAYAN Australia
- Gabriela Australia
- Gabriela Greater Sydney
- Gabriela Victoria
- Gabriela Perth
- Philippines Studies Network in Australia (PINAS)
- Promotion for Church People’s Response (PCPR) Australia
- KAFIN Saitama – Migrante
- MIGRANTE Japan
- MIGRANTE Macau
- KASAMMAKO – Katipunan ng mga Samahan ng Migranteng Manggawa sa Korea
- New Era Foundation
- Pag-Iribang Bicolnon in Korea
- TERESA Women’s Organization
- EPS Korea
- Osan Migrants Centre
- MIGRANTE Taiwan
- ACTION – Association of Concerned Filipinos in Thailand
- Migrante Youth
- Migrante Philippines
