Human Rights

‘(In)Human Security Act to attack civil liberties’

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan together with progressive peoples' organizations, civil libertarians and human rights group disputes the definition of terrorism in the HSA, saying it is prone to abuse by the authorities since it is too vague and broad. Who defines such terms as "widespread", "extraordinary", "panic", "populace", "unlawful" and so on? Even legitimate dissent can be interpreted as terrorism since under the HSA the definition is not limited to the Abu Sayyaf Group, Jemaah Islamiyah and Al Qaeda.

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Basilan beheadings: Dishonoring the dead

The Black & White Movement condemns in the strongest possible terms the beheading of ten marine soldiers following a firefight with members of the 8th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT). "It is an inhuman and barbaric act that has no place in any civilized society and we ask that all means be exhausted to bring the perpetrators to justice", says BnW lead convenor Enteng Romano.

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Terror law spooks neophyte Davao councilor

By CHERYLL D. FIEL | davaotoday.com

Newly elected Davao City councilor Karlo Bello, who was recently selected as the chairman of the City Council's Committee on Civil, Political and Human Rights, has expressed reservations about the Human Security Act, saying it might result in more human-rights abuses. "The same people who are already committing human-rights violations could be given authority to commit the same acts," he said.

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