Why are overseas Filipinos worried about Duterte’s anti-terror law?

On April 12, a Filipino carer in Taiwan took to Facebook to vent her frustrations over how the Philippine government was handling the coronavirus pandemic.

Little did she know her video would go viral and spark a diplomatic spat between Taipei and Manila.

The Philippine Department of Labour and Employment accused the worker of “cyber libel” for intending “to cause hatred” by sharing content on social media that was critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. But the Taiwanese administration intervened, saying it was not up to the office to deport the woman because the island had full jurisdiction.

Protests have been held in the Philippines under the campaign #JunkTerrorBillNow, while smaller actions have been organised in cities including Hong Kong.

Activists, who predict an escalation of human rights abuses, question the timing of the legislation, which comes as the nation grapples with the coronavirus. More than 24,100 people have been infected in the country, and more than 1,030 killed.