sffiffdard
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Amendments
quick descent
to martial rule
Karapatan
ByWillie Casas
HUMAN rights group Karapatan has
submitted its position paper to the
House of Representatives Committee
on Public Order and Safety regard-
ing the six House bills which seek to
amend the Republic Act 9372 or the
Human Security Act of 2007, during
the committee's hearing on the pro-
posed measures.
"If enacted in Congress, the said
arnendments will pave the way for the
steep and mad descent towards martial
law in the Philippines. The proposed
draconian measures will ensure the
throwback to the Marcosiar er4 en-
abling the wholesale disregard of hu-
man and people's rights enshrined in
the 1 987 Constitution," said Karapatan
Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
Palabay said these proposals were
inconsistent with international human
j drug war, it said the people had
rights standaxds including the right to
: witnessed relentless attaiks on the
due process, against unlimjted deten-
tion of suspects, rights to free speech
and expression, right to peaceably as-
semble and petition the govemment
for redress ofgrievances, right to free-
dom of association, the right of hu-
man rights defenders to promote and
protect human rights and fundainental
fteedoms, right to mobility and against
unjust and cruel punishment.
n'pRq*-
According to Karapatan, House
Bills 551, 2082, 2847, 3103, 34t3, nd
5710, authored by Reps. Rozzano Ru- l
fino Biazon, Jericho Jonas Nograles,
Luis Raymund Villafu€rte Jr., Michael
Romero, Jocelln Tulfo, Eric Yap, Ro-
wena Nina Taduran, and Lianda Bo-
lilia; would "worsen the provisions of
this already monstrous piece of legis-
lation in furtherance of legal repres-
sive measures that are in qmc with the
brand of state repression that the cur-
rent administration employs."
At the same time, Kabataan Pa*y-
list reiterated its stand in opposing the
proirosed amendments on the Human
Security Act.
Jhe proposed amendments sho$' no
sigis'of realJy protecling the people
against terrorism, but instead will only
expand the power of the military over
civilian affairs, Kabataan Partylist said
" in a statement.
Even when the proposed amendments .
are still being discussed in a Tecbnicel
Working Group, the Duterte administra-.
tion along with ib miliary and police
forces had nothing holding them back
in committing human rights violations
across the country, it mid
In addition to the long.standing
rights from the implementation of
yet another vicious policy.
Drt€rtet Executive Ord€r 70 and other
corresponding operational plans and
,
I memos all have a brand of"ending com-
munist insurgancy," but are in fact after
civilians and legal organizations that are
especially critical of rhe administration
and its anti-people policies, it said"
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