We, the Union of Journalists of the Philippines-UP, a pro-masses, pro-student organization, strongly call for the repeal of the Human Security Act or Republic Act No. 9372.
We believe that the HSA tramples upon constitutionally protected rights like the right to free speech, privacy, and most especially, the right to ask the government for redress of grievances.
The HSA gives license to the government to "intercept and record... any communication, message, conversation, discussion, or spoken or written words between members of a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association" or "any person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism." This gives the government access to suspected terrorists' bank accounts and personal files. It even gives them the right to invade the privacy of people's homes.
The Act can also pose a threat to media operations. Responsible reporting includes getting all sides of a story, and that sometimes involves having to interview individuals who may be seen in a bad light. But the HSA prevents the media from doing this. Although there is a provision in the HSA that prohibits wiretapping of conversations between journalists and their sources, there is no assurance that journalists will be ruled out as terrorists. The law states that ANYONE can be suspected of engaging in terrorist activity.
Except, perhaps, the government.
The government has exclusive powers to determine what constitutes terrorism and who can be labeled as terrorists. The HSA, in fact, empowers an Anti-Terrorism Council that oversees the implementation of the law which is carried out by the Armed Forces. The ATC consists of Executive Secretary as Chair, the Justice Secretary as Vice Chair, and other department secretaries as members. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales was quoted in several broadsheets as saying, "If there is a report, a clearly verified report that you (journalists) are a possible terrorist... I can petition the Court of Appeals to bug you."
In its most basic form, the HSA is a legal issue and we as citizens can take this battle to the courts. Many concerned groups like the Integrated Bar of the Philippines have vowed to question the HSA's constitutionality before the Supreme Court after the law takes effect.
We call on the media to properly inform the public on the consequences once the law is enacted. We call on all Filipinos to join the call for the abolition of the Human Security Act.