Saturday, July 21, 2007 Anti-terror body vows successful fight v. terror
* Mother of Superferry bombing fatality expresses continued pain over losing son in terror act
THE Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) on Friday assured that the fight against terrorism would not fail as the Arroyo Government formally launched Republic Act (RA) 9372 or the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007.
Addressing the families of victims of past terror attacks, defense undersecretary for legal and special concerns and ATC spokesman Ricardo Blancaflor said, the council is taking its inspiration from the victims and their living families.
"There will be no victory for the terrorists. They (terrorists) can destroy thousands of us but they cannot destroy our hearts, our dreams," said Blancaflor at the Loyola Memorial Park in Parañaque City.
Blancaflor led the commemoration of the death of the casualties of terrorism, particularly those who perished in the 2004 Superferry 14 passenger ferry and 2005 Valentine's Day bombings that have left over 200 people dead.
The affair is part of the formal launching of the HSA, which took effect last Sunday but continues to reap criticisms from various sectors that are saying the law would be violating rights of the people.
During the HSA launching in Malacañang, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said had the Philippines enacted an anti-terrorism law as early as 1996, when it was first proposed in the Senate, many of the recent heinous crimes from the bombings, killings and kidnappings, including that of Italian priest Father Giancarlo Bossi and mutilation of 14 Marines personnel in Basilan, would have been prevented or have not even occurred at all.
Arroyo said the public should give the law a chance to be implemented.
"Talk is cheap it is action that counts. On this day we ask the public to give the Human Security (Act) a chance," she said in reaction to the strong opposition of some sectors to the anti-terror law which they claim would be used against the government's enemies and critics.
She, however, assured that the government is committed to protecting the public, including their rights regardless of ideologies or philosophies, hinting that it would not be used to harass the administration's critics, the opposition or enemies.
"There is a fundamental difference between those who take up arms and wish the violent overthrow of the state and those who take to the ballot box for political change. Our government will protect the political rights of any person who wishes to participate in our democracy however we might disagree on philosophy and approach," she said.
Arroyo added that the Philippines had long been fighting terrorism, even before the September 11 attack in the US, but due to the lack of an appropriate law, terrorists or those who engage in these acts who had already been arrested had been able to go free and commit the same crimes repeatedly.
She said the anti-terror law was first introduced in the Senate in 1996 by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile but it was only on February 20 this year that it has finally be passed. It was signed into law by Arroyo on March 6 and implemented last July 15.
The President said had the law been passed, the first time it was proposed, "perhaps, the Dos Palmas incident would not have happened, and (American missionary) Gracia Burnham would not have lost her husband, Martin. Many Filipino lives could have been spared had the state been equipped with the legal arsenal to flush out evil before it could do harm."
She said had the law been passed earlier, the Rizal Day bombing in 2000 would have not occurred nor the Valentine's Day bombing in 2005 along with the Davao Airport bombing in 2003 where the suspects after being charged for mere possession of explosives and firearms were freed after posting bail bonds only to commit another bombing in Kidapawan months later.
"Maybe we could not have stopped Davao Airport (bombing), but we could have stopped the bombing in Kidapawan because those terrorists would have remained in jail; and perhaps our 14 soldiers in Basilan would not have to die because Father Bossi would have not been kidnapped in the first place," she added.
Arroyo said the country must invest in peace and order and the administration intends to do just that in the next three years which would be seen in the increased and "generous funding for investments in crushing terrorism wherever it threatens, regardless of ideology; and in putting a stop to human rights abuses whatever the excuse".
"We raise the bar on our campaign against terrorists who kill, bomb and maim to enforce an ideology of evil. We have the legal muscle to help end the paralysis of fear, empowered with a law that identifies terrorism and penalizes it, a law that preserves and protects freedom," she said.
She said there has been a decrease in criminalities due to the increased police visibility and investments in professionalizing the police and the military and in modernizing their equipment and this same commitment would be used in implementing the anti-terror law.
She said these same forces would also be running after "the armed terrorist," whether they are religious extremists, communist terrorists or political terrorists who does not care for others, particularly the innocents.
She stressed that no one is above the law.
"Whatever ideology is being pursued that undermines our stability must be defeated. If you are armed and kill innocent civilians, you would be tracked down and prosecuted. If you are a communist terrorist, we will stop you. If you are a religious terrorist, we will stop you. If you are a rogue element of your own police or military, we will stop you," she added.
The President said the public should also trust the implementers of the law, including the policemen and soldiers, who put their own lives on the line daily to protect the country, as they are all hard working and patriotic people who "love this nation and abide by the rule of law".
She said these public servants in uniform are loyal to the Constitution who treats their duties as sacred which includes upholding the Constitution and protecting.
"We cannot stand idly by, however, and let the purveyors of violence cloak their agenda behind the innocent men and women they hold hostage to their failed ideology. We will wrestle these failed terrorists to the ground and free the nation to live in peace and harmony," she added.
Arroyo said implementing the law, along with addressing the problems of hunger and poverty and sustaining the economic gains, is the best guarantee of achieving human security and eventually defeating terrorism.
US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and United Arab Emirates Ambassador and acting dean of the Diplomatic Corps Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Juwaid both expressed their support for the Philippines commitment to defeat terrorism, stressing that everyone must lend a hand in this campaign.
Both ambassadors also stressed that terrorism knows no borders, nationalities, religion or culture.
Burnham, who has been invited to the event, sent a message that she wanted to return to the Philippines to show her support for the HSA, but a previous engagement had prevented her to attend.
She instead sent a message, which Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita read, where she asked everyone to support and help the Philippine government implement the HSA and eradicate terrorism.
Ermita, who chairs the ATC which would oversee the implementation of the HSA, said by formally launching the law, they hope to make the public understand and appreciate it, instead of dreading or fearing its implementation.
"We hope this would give the necessary significance that it deserves because the very title of it is an act to 'Secure the State and Protect our People Against Terrorism'. We should have this very significant launching so we can understand that the objective is really to give protection and secure our people against terrorism," he said.
Among the fatalities in the ferry bombing was 17-year-old Rodil Filipinas, a student of the Mindanao State University who was sent by his school to attend a conference in Laguna. Filipinas' parents continue to anguish for his death.
"I remember Rodil because he is the inspiration for this law. Terrorism does not only destroy lives, terrorism destroys also dreams. To the victims of terrorism, you will continue to inspire us in government," said Blancaflor.
He also downplayed the concerns of sectors criticizing the law, stressing that of the 62 provisions of the act, 59 actually discussed how the rights of the people would be protected. "Many are opposing the law because to them, terrorism is a political issue because to them, terrorism is an issue that could be discussed at the political arena. But to you (victims' families), this is part of your life," he said.
Filipinas' mother, Cynthia, said her son do not deserve to die in the attack. "When that happened, my whole world shattered. I feel the pain my son is experiencing in that tragedy. Until now, the pain is with me," she said.
"I was so hopeful that he will become a very good and a very promising citizen of the country but all those were gone. He was so young to die, he doesn't deserve that kind of death, he should have served this country as a noble citizen and served his countrymen," Cynthia added.
Cynthia hoped that no other children and mother would suffer her and her son's agony as a result of the bombing. "I don't like kids, any other children in the future to suffer what he had suffered," she said.
"My only hope is in the future there should be no other parents who would suffer what we are suffering. I hope there would be no other parents that will suffer against terrorism," she said.
Blancaflor also said that there is nothing to fear in the law. "My message to them is they should not be afraid if they are not hiding anything," he said, adding that the law will merely give more teeth to the government's fight against terrorism. (VR/JMR/Sunnex)
