By Modesto P. Sa-onoy Yesterday I wrote that Justice Antonio Carpio assailed the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act on the issue of who is a terrorist. The Anti-Terrorism Council is authorized to determine that and order his or her arrest. This is awesome power. According to Justice Carpio, Section 4 (a) “vaguely defines terrorism as committed by
June 24, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy In the middle of our fears for survival against the pandemic, we were suddenly awakened to the passage of an anti-terrorism bill in the Senate and as quickly the same version was adopted in the House of Representatives. For such a measure of grave importance there was hardly any debate in
June 23, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy The recent decision of the Court finding Maria Ressa of Rappler guilty of the cybercrime of libel has created another storm on the issue of press freedom. This decision that legal luminaries even in the United States consider a threat to freedom of expression because of its “chilling effect” on the
June 22, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy For the first time in our history churches were closed. Not all the pandemics and wars had closed their doors and the hierarchy agreed to the mandate of the government. It was a case of keeping people healthy or dead. People were unprepared for the suddenness the quarantine. The Church leaders
June 20, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy The possibilities are high that the proposed anti-terrorism law now pending with the President will become law although Malacanang was reported to have made no claim that the initiative came from the President. On the other hand, people believe that the speed with which the two Houses of Congress approved the
June 19, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy The government has started a program to encourage people from the provinces to go back home as another attempt to decongest Metro Manila. The program called “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa” (Back to the Province, New Hope) Program or BP2, was implemented last May 20 when the first beneficiaries of 112 probinsyanos
June 18, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy Consumers will always be at the mercy of monopolies, especially those that control the basic needs of people – power and potable water – unless the government is consciously protective of the common good. The agony of the consumers is worsened by the connivance of government officials to fleece the consumers
June 17, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy Last Saturday I cited the defenses against criticisms of the anti-Terrorism bill. Now comes Senator Panfilo Lacson, the main author of this proposed measure (Malacanang has distances itself from initiating this bill), saying that the term “terrorism” is based on the definition of the United Nations. The UN definitions are always
June 16, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy There must be a solid justification for the speedy approval by the Senate and the House of Anti-Terrorism bill that is now waiting for the approval of the President. Let us listen to the defense against the bill as reported in various national media. I commented just to keep our thoughts
June 15, 2020
cus By Modesto P. Sa-onoy According to the groups from Mindanao I quoted yesterday, they “shudder to think how our congregational prayers, khutbahs, and halaqas might be considered as inciting to terrorism by oblivious persons in authority. We are scared for our youth who may be unsuspectingly going about their business in school or work,
June 13, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy How fitting that as the nation commemorates today the moment when the Filipino people declared independence from foreign power, we are engaged in defining the word “terrorist” and the powers that will be vested in the state police force to determine who threatens the security of the government. The retractions by
June 12, 2020
By Modesto P. Sa-onoy It is good for our national unity and understanding that a debate on the wisdom or folly of the Anti-Terrorism Bill is gaining traction. Radio and newspaper discussions are enlightening our people because lack of understanding is a major factor in fear. As Party List Cong. Stephen Paduano claims, we have
June 11, 2020