Human security

Accountability on human rights issues. No to red-tagging. Focus on human security rather than national security. An anti-drug campaign that follows the legal framework.

So far, the sound bites from the incoming administration on matters pertaining to human rights have been reassuring.

Whether policies and actions will match the words will be worth watching.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised to be a better version of his father. And his camp has said Junior should be judged by his own actions rather than those of his parents.

So Bongbong Marcos’ commitment to a “high level of accountability” on human rights issues when he assumes power could prove to be more than an “aspiration,” unlike the wish-niya-lang rice at P20 per kilo.

He also reportedly committed to carry out the campaign against illegal drugs “within the framework of the law.”

The statements were given to the United Nations’ resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines, Gustavo Gonzalez, who paid Marcos a courtesy call last Friday.

Having studied in the UK and visited many other countries, BBM must be fully aware of what he’s committing himself to before a UN official.

The conjugal dictatorship had two key issues raised against it: systematic human rights abuses, and corruption so massive critics had to coin “kleptocracy” to describe it.

During the campaign, BBM impressively succeeded in distancing himself from the wealth issue. But the incoming First Family continues to fend off efforts of the state to recover more of their mind-boggling wealth.

As for human rights, BBM doesn’t have his predecessor’s obsession with eradicating drug suspects like vermin (campaign donors and billionaire junkies exempted).

He also doesn’t seem to have his father’s predilection for putting political enemies and media critics behind bars… so far. But he has shown a penchant for information control and seems to consider a free press as an enemy. Problems are guaranteed to crop up when those in power see honest criticism as obstructionist and anti-government.

*      *      *

Some of the worst human rights abuses of Marcos Senior’s regime were committed against communist rebels and their sympathizers whether real or imagined.

Like the drug scourge that refused to vanish despite the shock and awe approach under Tokhang and Double Barrel, the insurgency is still very much around, thanks to persistent social injustice, poverty and underdevelopment. Whether the insurgents are still pushing for communism is unclear.

Political scientist Clarita Carlos, the incoming national security adviser or NSA, says the focus should be on “human security” – addressing the roots of insurgencies, particularly social injustice.

Carlos has also said communism is outdated and she does not believe in tagging any person or group as communist. Since the NSA sits as vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), people are expecting an end to red-tagging under Marcos 2.0.

The NTF-ELCAC chairman, however, is the president and commander-in-chief, although the current executive secretary has assumed this lead role. So if BBM thinks like President Duterte when it comes to dealing with the communist threat, the approach to the issue will remain the same.

The NSA in this country does not have the same clout as the US counterpart when it comes to setting policy on national security. Does anyone even remember who was Noynoy Aquino’s NSA?

Only one NSA wielded a heavy influence on presidential policy making: Jose Almonte, who served under Fidel Ramos. Cory Aquino reportedly found “JoeAl” creepy.

Will Carlos, as outspoken as the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago, go along with national security policy that she disagrees with?

*      *      *

The NSA is a member of the Anti-Terrorism Council. In June last year, the ATC designated 10 members of Islamic extremist groups as terrorists, together with 19 people identified as members of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) led by Jose Maria Sison. The National Democratic Front (NDF) described several of the 19 as peace consultants.

Last February, the ATC designated 16 groups it described as underground organizations of the CPP-NPA as terrorist groups, based on the official NDF website. The CPP-NPA is also listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Will the incoming NSA, with her stand against red-tagging, move to eliminate such lists?

Carlos, a retired University of the Philippines political science professor who describes herself as Machiavellian (the guy is misunderstood, she says), reminded us last week on One News’ “The Chiefs” about the use of the terrorist tag being a slippery slope. There’s also the argument that one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.

The counter-argument is that a freedom fighter has no right to blow up civilian targets in the name of any cause.

Outgoing NSA Hermogenes Esperon Jr., former military chief and alumnus of the Philippine Science High School, has clear views on what comprises terrorism, and is unapologetic about the work of the NTF-ELCAC. In an earlier interview this year with The Chiefs, he reminded the nation about the security threats posed by the NPA and the rebels’ continuing active recruitment especially among the youth.

The NTF-ELCAC considers the weakened showing of progressive groups in this year’s elections as a manifestation of the success of the task force and Duterte’s approach to the communist armed conflict.

Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, tagged by the government as a communist front organization, blamed Duterte’s tirades for the group’s first-ever loss in the party-list race since 2001.

If Clarita Carlos’ preferred focus on human security is pursued, the fate of progressive groups and those designated as terrorists will be just one aspect of a broad-based policy on national security.

The tack will require getting other Cabinet members and executive agencies on board for a whole-of-nation approach. Even if Carlos believes negotiating with Joma Sison and other rebels in exile is useless, a focus on social justice is a kinder, gentler approach to the terrorism-insurgency issue.

This approach can be carried out only if she gets the full support of the president, and if the defense-military establishment will go along with it.

Accountability in human rights is good to hear. Marcos 2.0, however, will be judged not by words and aspirations but by actions.