NUPL reiterates appeal to SC: Halt Anti-terror Law implementation

The Supreme Court (SC) has been asked to halt the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 due information gathering being conducted by the government against the petitioners opposed to the law.

In its latest pleading dated March 29, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) said the government has been committing “life-threatening acts of intelligence-gathering and profiling committed against several Petitioners in the above-captioned cases and their respective organizations.”

NUPL cited these acts were being committed, in particular, against Confederation for Unity Recognition and Advancement of

Government Employees (COURAGE) and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) which have been tagged by the government as fronts of the communist terrorist group (CTG).

“The state, thus, committed acts essentially amounting to interference with the exercise of the freedom of association and large-scale union-busting, which are proscribed under the 1987 Constitution and international human rights law,” NUPL said.

“The unfounded branding of COURAGE and ACT as ‘Communist Terrorist Groups’ threatens the lives, liberties and security of workers in the public and private sectors who are merely exercising their right to self organization,” it added.

Among these act, the NUPL cited the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a memorandum dated March 10 which directed all of its regional offices to identify and investigate DILG employees who are members of COURAGE which, along with ACT, have been identified as fronts for CTG.

While the SC has yet to decide on the petitions seeking to declare as unconstitutional the law, the NUPL pleaded that the high tribunal issue a status quo ante order or a temporary restraining order (TRO) that will suspend the implementation of the law.

“Once again, Petitioners reiterate that injunctive reliefs will serve a crucial role in preserving and protecting the people’s lives and rights while record-high surges in the prevalence of COVID-19 infections are putting the instant proceedings on hold and the dire state of human rights in the country continues to worsen,” the group stated.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)