Opposition to challenge anti-terror law before the Supreme Court

The political opposition and some other progressive groups are not being silent as regards their strong condemnation of the Anti-Terrorism Act that was just signed into a law by the President.

The final act of making the controversial measure to be a law is also the cue for those are against it to challenge it before the Supreme Court.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s political will trumped all those groups and political personalities who have their own interpretation of the newly signed law.

Renato Reyes, leader of left-wing Bayan movement and House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate
(photo credit to owner)

The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, even urged Duterte not to sign it.

The signing of the Anti-Terrorism law did not came as a surprise to the minority lawmakers as at the very onset the President already certified its creation as urgent.

But House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the fight continues and the next battle ground is in the Supreme Court.

“We would have to continue the fight in all fronts until this terror law is junked. We will question its constitutionality at the Supreme Court at the soonest time possible,” Zarate said 

Labor group leader Sonny Matula said President Duterte “forgot his Constitutional Law” by failing to veto the measure, which is “contrary to our freedom of expression under the Bill of Rights” and the “right of citizens to be secure against unreasonable arrest.”

Renato Reyes, leader of left-wing Bayan movement said the President’s act of signing the said law even there is a strong opposition from the different sectors of the society - working people, human rights advocates, the legal community, academe, religious groups, business, media and artists.

“It shows that the regime is more interested in suppressing dissent than in solving the health and economic crisis,” he said.

“The people are left with no choice but to resist and to defend our rights and freedoms against a tyrannical regime.

International human rights watchdog, Amnesty International said the new law is “a new weapon to brand and hound any perceived enemies of the state”.

“This shows why the UN should launch a formal investigation into ongoing widespread and systematic violations in the country,” said Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Nicholas Bequelin

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Report from News5

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