SC now has 7 cases vs Anti-terrorism law

Two labor rights groups have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare unconstitutional several provisions in the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 that allegedly “worsen the struggles of workers in pushing for their rights and demands.”       

The petition filed last Wednesday, July 8, by the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) and the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE) is the seventh case lodged before the SC against the Anti-Terrorism Law (ATL) that is set for implementation on July 19.          

A copy of the petition was not available but the labor rights groups posted the filing of their case in their Facebook account. The post shows their petition was docketed as Government Records (GR) No. 252623.         

In their social media post, the two groups said: “The labor rights groups expressed deep concern on how the ATL will affect unionists and labor rights defenders.    Because of the vague definition of terrorism and the absolute power it gives the state forces, this law can definitely be used against the labor movement.          Throughout history, unionists and labor rights defenders have been perpetrated (sic) by filing trumped-up charges against them, red-tagging, accusing them of being rebels or terrorists, and other forms of harassment. This law will worsen the struggles of workers in pushing for their rights and demands.”      

The CTUHR was represented in the petition by Daisy Arago, while PLACE was represented by lawyer Noel V. Neri, Armando Teodoro Jr., Violeta Espiritu, and Virginia Flores.         

Named respondents in the petition were President Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Mediadea, members of the Anti-Terrorism Council, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and several agencies under the Executive Department.       

The first six cases against ATL under Republic Act No. 11479 were filed by the group of lawyer Howard Calleja and former education secretary Armin Luistro, Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, the group of Law Dean Mel Sta. Maria and several professors of the Far Eastern University (FEU), the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives led by Bayan Muna Party-List Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, former head of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel Rudolph Philip B. Jurado, and the group of former members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission Christian S. Monsod and Felicitas A. Aquino and their group from the Ateneo Human Rights Center.       

Last Tuesday, July 7, the SC acted on the first four cases and directed the Office of the President and several agencies in the Executive Department and both Houses of Congress to comment in 10 days on both the pleas for temporary restraining order (TRO) and on the petitions.        

The first four cases were also ordered consolidated into one case.  It is expected that the fifth, sixth, and seventh petitions would be included in the consolidated cases.