On February 9, 2022, Philippine News Agency (PNA) published an article on their website saying that the SOCCSKSARGEN RTF-ELCAC opposes the House Bill (HB) 10576 or Human Rights Defenders Bill. Director Eduardo Marquez of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency-12 and a member of RTF-ELCAC claimed that the HB 10576 is part of “communist propaganda and would only serve the agenda of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) of portraying the Anti-Terrorism Law as ‘ineffective and toothless.’
CLAIM:
The Human Rights Defenders Bill is a “communist propaganda.”
RATING:
FALSE
FACTS:
House Committee Report No. 1367 clearly explained that the HB 10576 “defines the rights and fundamental freedoms of human rights defenders, declaring state responsibilities and instituting effective mechanisms for the protection and promotion of these rights and freedoms.” Instead of purportedly containing “communist propaganda,” the bill cites several constitutional provisions that respect human dignity. The report does not, in any way, express support or even mention information about the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The principal authors of HB 1367 are Reps. Edcel Lagman, Kit Belmonte, Bayani Fernando, Rep. Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, Eufemia Cullamat, France Castro, Arlene Brosas and Sarah Elago, who are all bona fide members of the 18th Congress.
WHY IT MATTERS:
In recent years, human rights defenders and advocates have been subjected to unrelenting attacks, including red-tagging. KARAPATAN Secretary General Cristina Palabay expressed that the red-tagging of the authors of HR Defenders Bill should seriously alarm Congress, as it is apparent that there are forces that do not want more stringent safety measures for human rights advocates.
Even United Nations Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor said in a tweet that she was ‘disturbed’ that state-run news agency in the Philippines described the Human Rights Defenders Bill as the “terrorists’ attempt to ‘erode and destroy’ state structures.”
The Facebook post from the NTF-ELCAC official page that cited the PNA article about Marquez has only garnered 75 reactions and 52 shares, however, NTF-ELCAC Spokesperson Lorraine Badoy’s Facebook post on January 20 where she claimed that the bill will “install CPP-NPA-NDF groups” including KARAPATAN as overseer of human rights abuses in the country gained 1,500 reactions, 74 comments and 266 shares – Vanessa Adolfo & Jamaica Marciano
Altermidya Network is part of #FactsFirstPH which brings together various sectors that are committed to promoting truth in the public space, and exacting accountability on those who harm it with lies. For those interested to join the initiative, email info@factsfirst.ph.
