By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
Several progressive groups staged protest actions in different parts of Quezon City on Wednesday to call for the abolition of the anti-terror bill.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas / MANILA BULLETIN
Members of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Anakpawis, PAMALAKAYA, among others, raised their placards inside the University of the Philippines - Diliman campus as they expressed alarm over the passing of the Anti-Terrorism Bill in the Congress.
"This new bill will further weaponize the law and subject ordinary Filipinos to human rights violations and abuses," claimed KMP chairman Danilo Ramos in a statement.
The groups have also stressed that "activism is not terrorism" and decried certain provisions of the bill that could easily implicate activists as terrorists.
Several protesters aboard their vehicles also held a noise barrage in front of the House of Representatives along Commonwealth Ave. bearing the same message, while members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) marched en masse along the road.
Various government officials, including Vice President Leni Robredo, assailed the urgent passing of the bill on the second reading and questioned its timing, at the time when the country is dealing with the coronavirus disease pandemic.
"Maliban sa pagiging wala sa timing, gusto ko ring linawin kung ang batas nga bang ito ang sagot sa terorismo ," Robredo said.