Ateneo, La Salle ask Duterte to veto anti-terror bill
Published Jun 5, 2020 12:00 am
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Officials from Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and De La Salle University (DLSU) on June 5, Friday, expressed opposition to the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 (House Bill No. 6875) and urged President Duterte to veto this particular version of the bill as the country continues to grapple with COVID-19.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In a joint statement, the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers “strongly” registered opposition to HB 6875, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading, and the earlier similar bill approved by the Senate or Senate Bill (SB) 1083 in February.
The signatories were Br. Armin Luistro,FSC, provincial superior of Lasallian East Asia District; Br. Raymundo Suplido FSC, president of De La Salle University; Br. Bernard Oca FSC, president of De La Salle Santiago Zobel and St. Jaime Hilario School-De La Salle Bagac; Br. Augustine Boquer FSC, president of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas and De La Salle Medical Health Sciences, Inc.; Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC, president La Salle Green Hills and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde; Br. Joaquin Martinez FSC, president of University of St. La Salle and St. Joseph’s High School-La Salle; Br. Dante Jose Amisola FSC, president of De La Salle-Lipa; Fr. Primitivo Viray Jr. SJ, provincial superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus; Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ, president of Ateneo de Manila University; Fr. Roberto Yap SJ, president of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan; Fr. Joel Tabora SJ, president of Ateneo de Davao University; Fr. Roberto Exequiel Rivera SJ, president of Ateneo de Naga University; Fr. Karel San Juan SJ, president of Ateneo de Zamboanga University; Fr. Manuel Uy Jr. SJ, president of Sacred Heart School Cebu-Ateneo de Cebu; Fr. Aristotle Dy SJ, president of Xavier School; and Fr. Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez SJ, president of Ateneo de Iloilo.
Ill-timed passage, veto bill
“While we acknowledge the need to fight terrorism, we find the passage of the bill ill-timed,” they said. “As our people continue to struggle in coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, our attention, efforts, and resources should focus on fighting the virus and in helping our people.”
The Jesuits and La Salle Brothers noted that many people have died and continue to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our health systems and personnel are stretched to their limits many have lost jobs and are hungry,” they said. “At this time, our priorities should be shoring up our health system, providing support to our health workers, ensuring food for our communities, stimulating the economy and providing jobs for our people.”
Instead of hastily passing a bill that could, with its haphazard construction, wrongly impair sacred constitutional rights, the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers said that the “very real and terrifying threats to our health and economy” should receive receive “more dedication and attention” from lawmakers’ as sworn duty as public servants.
Amid these trying times, ADMU and DLSU noted that the Anti-Terror Bill “adds to people’s anxieties and fears” since many of the provisions under this bill are “couched in language that is sweeping and equivocal as to be easily subject to misinterpretation and abuse.”
For the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers, more worrisome are the expanded and vague definitions of a “terrorist,” the powers given to the Anti-Terror Council to designate a group as a “terrorist group,” and the weakening of the protection of one’s privacy and the safeguards against arrests and detention without warrants. “Instead of being a measure to protect our people, in the wrong hands, this bill can be used to oppress our people,” they warned.
The ADMU and DLSU officials appealed to President Duterte to “listen to the pleas of our people” who are already burdened by the pandemic and veto this particular version of the bill. “We can then all work together to craft a better version that can uproot terrorism while addressing the people’s concerns about their basic rights,” they said. “By so doing, we will not be divided in countering terrorism.”
Noting that the people are “under siege on several fronts,” the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers also urged the public to “remain vigilant, to keep abreast of what’s happening, and to safeguard our rights that are enshrined in the Constitution.”
(MANILA BULLETIN)
In a joint statement, the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers “strongly” registered opposition to HB 6875, which was recently approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading, and the earlier similar bill approved by the Senate or Senate Bill (SB) 1083 in February.
The signatories were Br. Armin Luistro,FSC, provincial superior of Lasallian East Asia District; Br. Raymundo Suplido FSC, president of De La Salle University; Br. Bernard Oca FSC, president of De La Salle Santiago Zobel and St. Jaime Hilario School-De La Salle Bagac; Br. Augustine Boquer FSC, president of De La Salle University-Dasmariñas and De La Salle Medical Health Sciences, Inc.; Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC, president La Salle Green Hills and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde; Br. Joaquin Martinez FSC, president of University of St. La Salle and St. Joseph’s High School-La Salle; Br. Dante Jose Amisola FSC, president of De La Salle-Lipa; Fr. Primitivo Viray Jr. SJ, provincial superior of the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus; Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ, president of Ateneo de Manila University; Fr. Roberto Yap SJ, president of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan; Fr. Joel Tabora SJ, president of Ateneo de Davao University; Fr. Roberto Exequiel Rivera SJ, president of Ateneo de Naga University; Fr. Karel San Juan SJ, president of Ateneo de Zamboanga University; Fr. Manuel Uy Jr. SJ, president of Sacred Heart School Cebu-Ateneo de Cebu; Fr. Aristotle Dy SJ, president of Xavier School; and Fr. Joseph Raymund Patrick Sanchez SJ, president of Ateneo de Iloilo.
Ill-timed passage, veto bill
“While we acknowledge the need to fight terrorism, we find the passage of the bill ill-timed,” they said. “As our people continue to struggle in coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, our attention, efforts, and resources should focus on fighting the virus and in helping our people.”
The Jesuits and La Salle Brothers noted that many people have died and continue to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our health systems and personnel are stretched to their limits many have lost jobs and are hungry,” they said. “At this time, our priorities should be shoring up our health system, providing support to our health workers, ensuring food for our communities, stimulating the economy and providing jobs for our people.”
Instead of hastily passing a bill that could, with its haphazard construction, wrongly impair sacred constitutional rights, the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers said that the “very real and terrifying threats to our health and economy” should receive receive “more dedication and attention” from lawmakers’ as sworn duty as public servants.
Amid these trying times, ADMU and DLSU noted that the Anti-Terror Bill “adds to people’s anxieties and fears” since many of the provisions under this bill are “couched in language that is sweeping and equivocal as to be easily subject to misinterpretation and abuse.”
For the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers, more worrisome are the expanded and vague definitions of a “terrorist,” the powers given to the Anti-Terror Council to designate a group as a “terrorist group,” and the weakening of the protection of one’s privacy and the safeguards against arrests and detention without warrants. “Instead of being a measure to protect our people, in the wrong hands, this bill can be used to oppress our people,” they warned.
The ADMU and DLSU officials appealed to President Duterte to “listen to the pleas of our people” who are already burdened by the pandemic and veto this particular version of the bill. “We can then all work together to craft a better version that can uproot terrorism while addressing the people’s concerns about their basic rights,” they said. “By so doing, we will not be divided in countering terrorism.”
Noting that the people are “under siege on several fronts,” the Jesuits and La Salle Brothers also urged the public to “remain vigilant, to keep abreast of what’s happening, and to safeguard our rights that are enshrined in the Constitution.”