In the midst of the coronavirus health crisis, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Anti-Terrorism Act, which gives the government more authority to act against individuals or organizations that come under what opponents argue is a harmful and ambiguous concept of terrorism.
Shortly after the bill was signed into law, numerous sectors, netizens, and celebrities took to the Internet to speak out.
Kapuso celebrity Gabbi Garcia who is known for being opinionated tweeted a meme of a woman with mascara running all over her face from crying, as if that was her reaction to the signed bill.
— Gabbi Garcia ♡ (@gabbi) July 3, 2020
In the following tweet, she saidm “3rd day palang ng July ano na 2020” with the upside down smiley emoji.
https://twitter.com/gabbi/status/1279000022139285504?s=20
Writer and spoken word artist Juan Miguel Severo tweeted sarcastically about how the Philippine government is best in priorities,
https://twitter.com/TheRainBro/status/1279001739845222401?s=20
With the signature of Duterte, the measure is now a full-fledged law that will become effective 15 days after its publication in nationally circulated newspapers.
This means that the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), composed of officials from the Duterte Cabinet, will have the power to initiate actions against more people, not just suspected terrorists or terrorists, and to arrest them without a warrant.
Actress Chai Fonacier was alarmed that there would be no assurance that the government could strictly comply with the law and not use it for their own benefit,
“What is your assurance that, within the next fifteen days before the law is supposed to take effect, they’re going to stand down? When they’ve even arrested people on the basis of this non-existent law called “Ah, basta!”
https://twitter.com/bansheerabidcat/status/1279075968980643847?s=20
IV of Spades guitarist Blaster Silonga questioned if Duterte really cares for the Filipinos.
Dear Rodrigo Duterte,
May pakialam ka ba talaga sa amin?— BLASTER (@Bsilonga) July 3, 2020
Bring down the goverment
They don’t speak for us— BLASTER (@Bsilonga) July 3, 2020
Ang mamatay para sa kapalpakan ng Gobyerno ay parang Manok na namatay para sa matabang na Tinola
— BLASTER (@Bsilonga) June 22, 2020
People who took part in #JunkTerrorBill protests at UP and Pride March in Manila were also arrested, fueling more fears that the bill may be used to stifle criticism of the government.
The Anti-terrorism law is now Republic Act 11479. This was confirmed by Secretary of the Interior, Eduardo Año, on Friday, 3 July.
