PH gov’t defends Anti-Terrorism Law at UN forum

The Philippine government stood firm on the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), saying it respects human rights, during the constructive dialogue on the country’s 7th Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in Geneva, Switzerland.

In a statement on Saturday, the National Security Council (NCS) said the ICESCR ran from February 18 to 19.

NSC Assistant Director-General Jonathan Malaya said all cases filed under the ATA undergo rigorous legal scrutiny.

“The courts conducted their own judicial review of probable cause and concurred with the findings of the DOJ and, as a result, issued the warrants of arrest. If there was no basis or misuse of the law, the courts would have dismissed the case outright.”

“The existence of dismissals does not indicate misuse of the law; rather, it affirms that the judicial process works as intended—ensuring that only well-founded cases proceed to trial,” he added.

The ICESCR is a United Nations treaty that ensures basic rights such as right to work, social security, adequate standard of living, healthcare, education, and participation in cultural life.

It also obligates countries that have ratified the treaty to protect and preserve basic human rights.

On the issue of red-tagging, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the agency has “mischaracterized.”

“We provide accurate information about individuals involved in ‘terror grooming or radicalization,’ empowering people to make informed choices that protect themselves and their communities,” NTF-ELCAC Secretariat executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said.

In May 2024, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. maintained that NTF-ELCAC would not be abolished.

This came after the Supreme Court ruled that red-tagging and guilt by association threaten a person’s right to life, liberty, or security as it granted a writ of amparo in favor of former Bayan Muna lawmaker Siegfred Deduro. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News