New Philippine security law could be used to label human rights groups as terrorists, UN official warns

President Rodrigo Duterte has endorsed the new legislation, which increases the number of days suspects can be detained without warrants from three to 24

Vice-President Leni Robredo, who leads the opposition, warned the legislation could be used to muzzle free expression and silence critics

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A rally against the Philippines’ anti-terror bill in Quezon City, Metro Manila. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:26pm, 5 Jun 2020Updated: 12:29pm, 5 Jun 2020

New anti-terrorism legislation passed by the Philippine Congress that allows the detention of suspects for up to 24 days without warrants and relaxes human rights safeguards is “very worrying”, a UN rights official said on Thursday.

The House of Representatives passed the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 on Wednesday night after President Rodrigo Duterte urgently endorsed the legislation, despite fears it could threaten human rights and be used against his political opponents. The Senate passed its version in February.

Once signed into law by Duterte, the legislation will replace a 2007 anti-terror law called the Human Security Act which was rarely used, largely because law enforcers can be fined 500,000 pesos (US$9,800) for each day they wrongfully detain a terrorism suspect.

Lawmakers removed such safeguards in the new legislation, which increases the number of days that suspects can be detained without warrants from three to 24.

Ravina Shamdasani of the UN Human Rights office said the legislation defines terrorism broadly and allows officials to designate people as terrorists in provisions that “may violate the principle of legality under international law”.

“You add to this the context in the Philippines where a lot of human rights organisations are routinely labelled as terrorists, this is very worrying,” Shamdasani said in an online news conference on a new UN. Human Rights Office report about threats to human rights in the Philippines.

The report said the legislation was among proposed new laws and amendments “with the stated aim of strengthening public order and countering terrorism,” but “which risk eroding constitutional and other legal protections”.