By emboldening the police officers' abuse of power, the government makes the people get used to surveillance, illegal arrests, abductions, and killings until tsubmission and callousness become the new normal.
The day Duterte signed the Anti-terrorism Law, 11 activists in Cabuyao, Laguna were manhandled by police and military men as they were packing up after a peaceful protest. They were detained without charges. A few days later, the National Vice-Chairperson of Gabriela and Chairperson of Bicolana is arrested based on a trumped up murder case. Jenelyn Nagrampa is also a barangay councilor in Nabua town, Camarines Sur.
While many activists have been taking it to the streets despite the pandemic, the invisibility of the rest of the angry population might be telling something about how this suffering is being made acceptable, the default, and even the so-called "new normal" by the Duterte regime.
On June 1, President Rodrigo Duterte has certified as urgent the passing of a new anti-terrorism bill that seeks to repeal Republic Act No. 9372 or the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007.
“Hay Salamat!” exclaimed Pinky (not her true name) after hearing the words, “Good morning ma’am? Unsay among ikatabang nimo mam?” from the other side of the line. Pinky was calling the numbers she chanced upon while browsing a social media platform that offers free online consultation.