Philippines: activism is terrorism in a failed state.

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When government terrorises the people.

“The government of the Philippines exists for itself and is completely separate from the people of the Philippines,” says a Barangay captain (municipal leader) who does not want to be identified for fear of “being assassinated by a Duterte team of two men on a motorcycle,” he says.

by Behar Abbasi

When the Philippines Government became the real Terrorists Example: 14 farmers in Negros Oriental were murdered by Philippine military & police in March 2019. Several towns, including Sta. Catalina, were hit simultaneously, injuring 15 others, all in a single night. Photo Credit: AP Photo Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine

 

An anti-activism bill under the guise of Anti-Terrorism, is about to become law in the Philippines.

Author’s note: This article should serve as a warning. Keep your heads down. Avoid police, military and government institutions as much as possible. Stay home. Stay safe.

Few people agree that the ‘Anti-Terrorism Council’, a concoction of the new Anti-Terrorism Bill and a group of men appointed by controversial de facto dictator Rodrigo Duterte will fairly decide who is and who isn’t a terrorist.

Duterte has been charged under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court for mass murder, hence there is little reason to disagree with the thousands of FIlipinos in the streets opposing this draconian effort of the Philippines government allies of Rodrigo Duterte.

The Philippines Anti-Terrorist Bill which has earned nation-wide hatred for the government, huge demonstrations, and global criticism, allows for arrest of FIlipinos without warrant and detainment without hearing for any persons the Anti-Terrorism Council puts on its list. The Duterte government denies that the law will be abused.

“It will be used as a method of quashing political opposition and members of the public who criticize the government. Every day is another example of that in the form of bogus criminal charges, murder, or disappearance. The government wants a more explicit mechanism for dealing with criticism,” says Karinna Angeles, a nurse and overseas Filipino worker who has been compelled to return to the Philippines some months ago.

“This is a mechanism for Duterte to label groups of people, like Negros Occidental farmers he has oppressed on behalf of government officials who have wanted more of the rich lands they have locals farm for them; indigenous schools and their boards of directors;  or people who oppose the murderous government who get “red-tagged”, labelled as communists, an angry form of racism that has been encouraged by America which occupies parts of the Philippines as its Cold War front against China,” said the upset barangay captain.

The Philippines has a totalitarian dictatorship with Duterte as its Supreme Leader

The Armed Forces of the Philippines which runs the corrupt patriarchal government says it wants the new terror Bill to block any chance of a “terrorist” resurgence. But every time the AFP is asked by the Americans to go after a person the USA wants to have arrested, a skirmish and even war erupts, as was the case in May 2017 and many times previously.

On 23 May 2017, a firefight broke out in Marawi City after Americans and Filipinos tried to arrest Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute. Philippine government forces and local armed men began a conflict, the ‘battle of Marawi’ that would last five months resulting in mass displacement of civilians, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives. This has never been reconciled by government. Photo Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine