Duterte On The New Anti-terrorism Law: Don't Be Afraid If You Are Not A Terrorist

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Source: pcoo.gov.ph)

JAKARTA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte talks about a new anti-terrorism law. Duterte asked the Filipinos not to worry, because according to him the law was made to protect citizens from terrorism crimes.

Duterte also reminded that the Philippines has a long history of fighting terrorism. For example, the conflict between the government and the armed wing of the communist party has raged for half a century and killed more than 40,000 people. In the south, the Philippines has faced Islamic extremist groups since 2017, which continue to carry out suicide bombings.

"To the law-abiding citizens of this country, I greet you sincerely. Don't be afraid if you are not a terrorist," Duterte said.

Hence, Duterte last week passed the anti-terrorism bill. However, the decision immediately prompted human rights groups to stage protests and question the law before the Supreme Court. Duterte has never stopped calling on the public not to be influenced by protests.

"If you don't plan to bomb churches and public facilities to derail the nation, you have nothing to fear," Duterte said, adding that communists were among the terrorists.

In the new law, the policy owners want to form an Anti-Terrorism Council appointed by the president. The Anti-Terrorism Council will then be able to freely investigate suspected terrorists and detain them for up to 24 days. It also allows them to conduct surveillance and wiretapping for 24 hours on these targets.

In addition, the Anti-Terrorism Council can provide life sentences without parole. Later, the bill was criticized by domestic and foreign human rights activists. They think that the law has the potential to be misused by the government.

These activists fear that in the future it is not terrorists who are being hunted. However, the law is vulnerable to being used to target political opponents and those who disagree with the government.