Anti-terror law could lead to more schools to be red-tagged, educators tell SC
MANILA, Philippines — Educators on Tuesday joined the call for the Supreme Court to strike down as unconstitutional the controversial anti-terror law on the first day of its oral arguments, warning that the legislation could be used to continuously tag schools as having ties to the CPP-NPA.
The high court heard for the first time Tuesday the counsels of the 37 petitions contesting provisions of the said law, months since it was filed after the measure was enacted in July 2020.
Fears among groups that it would be used to red-tag more activists, human rights advocates and government critics had been realized since then, with the efforts led by those in the military particularly Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, who rehashed his claim in 2018 that universities have become breeding grounds for the armed communist movement.
In a statement, the group Academics Unite for Democracy and Human Rights said the measure could soon be used to interfere with universities' academic freedom, especially with the widely criticized termination of the UP-DND accord by the defense department.
"The terror law will only be a weapon to terror-tag schools, teachers and students, and sectoral and multisectoral organizations, rather than be an effective tool against real terrorists," the group said. "Allowing such wanton betrayal of our democracy and mockery of our academic institutions is unconscionable."
Among those who have pleaded before the court to declare the law as unconstitutional are law professors from the Far Eastern University, including its dean, Mel Sta. Maria. Former La Salle law dean Jose Manuel Diokno was also included, and was among those who presented their case before the magistrates.
Members said state forces should in turn seek to understand the "root causes of massive dissatisfaction" among people that led some to join the armed movement.
"We enjoin the Supreme Court to heed our call to stop this draconian law’s implementation, and protect academic freedom and all the freedoms that we cherish as our forefathers' legacy in shaping a more democratic, peaceful, just, and prosperous society where the government treats citizens as partners and stakeholders – co-nation-builders in fact, rather than terrorists or enemies of the state," they added,
Such is a similar call made by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines in a January 30 statement, who said that "instead of red-tagging educational institutions, which endangers the security and welfare of teachers and students, we encourage the government to address the roots of the problem of insurgency, like poverty and marginalization."
Four of the top universities included in Parlade's unsubstantiated list had denounced his claim, describing it as irresponsible and a mere rehash of his remarks years ago that failed to materialize with no proof presented.
Caloocan Bishop Pablo David, a vocal critic of the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign, had described as well the military general's move as "ridiculous," as he added that the rising case of red-tagging in the Philippines paint a reminder of its years under the Marcos dictatorship.
The Supreme Court's oral arguments adjourned this afternoon, with Associate Justices Rosmari Carandang and Marvic Leonen along with Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe interpellating.
It is set to resume next week Tuesday, February 9 at 2 p.m.
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