Youth leaders filed the 29th petition against the Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terror Law of 2020 before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
The petitioners were mostly Sangguniang Kabataan officials from the different parts of the Philippines, together with members of Kilos Pasig and the Jovito R. Salonga Policy Studies.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers National Capital Region (NUPL-NCR) Chapter will be representing them.
The petitioners said the “vague and overreaching” definition of terrorism, which is left to the discretion of the “henchmen” of the government, restricts their freedom to speak out and express their opinions freely, fully, and without fear or inhibition.
With the imposition of community lockdowns and quarantine in the past few months, the petitioners said they have maximized the use of social media to be more vocal and participative in matters of public interest.
The youth leaders also voiced on social media their concerns about the government’s treatment of people’s right to life, health, employment, social security, education, its senseless, and chauvinist and militarist approach.
According to NUPL-NCR, this goes to show that the youth leaders deeply care about our present political, social, and economic climate and that their voices matter and they want this to be put on record and annals of history.
“With the Anti-Terror Law in place and the bloody human rights record of its main implementers, their fear of being gagged to being silenced for being critical of the government is not a product of one’s playful imagination,” the NUPL-NCR said. Isabel S. Macaraeg