HSA...

Been busy the past days haven't got the time to blog. Anyways, I did say I will be writing about the so-called Human Security Act of 2007 or more popularly known as the Anti-Terror Law. There is nothing "secure" about this law, if anything, it simply reaps insecurity to our human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution.

I remember reading on one article that this public official, whose name I forgot, saying that the passage of this law was made in compliance with international obligations to which the Philippines was a signatory, and therefore, there should be no question as to its legislation. This got my ire as as this was the same logic and reasoning I used to espouse when I talk about legislation on a national policy for RH care and services. And up to now, the government has yet to come up with a national policy re: this issue. Need I say more?

A lot of articles have been written on the subject so here's one editorial piece worth reading:

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The Arroyo administration and its enforcers are given too much leeway in implementing the antiterror law. Administration officials said the act does not require the government to draw up implementing rules and regulations, but given a law that offers great opportunity for abuse, clear rules have to be laid down for the enforcers.

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The Human Security Act is another instance of Orwellian Newspeak being foisted on the people by the Arroyo administration, which has a perverted sense of human rights. Instead of ensuring the security of people, it will heighten their sense of insecurity. The law will strike fear in the hearts of innocent people who could, at any time, and at the whim of administration officials and the military, be falsely labeled “terrorists," hounded and watched, their communication wiretapped, their assets seized, their movements limited, their freedom curtailed, and probably, even their very lives taken without any judicial proceeding. These things were happening even before the Human Security Act became law. The situation may worsen with the enforcement of the law by an administration that has shown no respect for human rights.

Read the full article here.

*** Another interesting article related to this subject matter, High court asked to rule on legality of terror law, is linked here.

Protecting only the state

Based on the United Nations Development Program, human security encompasses the “security of real people” and consists of freedom from fear, want and humiliation. But the petitioners said the definition of terrorism appeared to protect only the state. “To project counterterrorism as human security is not only deceptive to our people but also dishonest as a misappropriation of a concept currently associated with the UNDP, the independent global Commission for Human Security and the Human Security Network of countries,” they said. They also warned that this would have negative effects on peace talks.

“There is a danger now with the HSA that such human security and peace efforts of the UNDP and Mindanao peace advocates will become associated with counterterrorism, which would be unfair to those efforts,” they said.