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UNCLAS MANILA 000752 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM KCRM RP
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ARROYO SIGNS LANDMARK COUNTERTERRORISM 
LEGISLATION AMID LEFTIST CRITICISM 
 
REF: A. MANILA 599 
     ¶B. MANILA 560 
     ¶C. MANILA 465 
 
 ¶1.  (U)  At a highly publicized ceremony featuring half the 
Cabinet, Congressional leaders, senior military and police 
officials, and the diplomatic corps at Malacanang Palace on 
March 6, President Arroyo signed the final version of the 
"Human Security Act of 2007," long-awaited counterterrorism 
legislation that will expand the tools available to the 
Philippine government to investigate and prosecute acts of 
terrorism (ref a).  To address concerns by leftist activists 
and opposition politicians that the law could be used against 
them during elections, the law will initially become 
effective two months after the May 14 mid-term elections and 
will then be automatically suspended one month before and two 
months after every subsequent election.  President Arroyo 
called the legislation a "landmark in the battle against evil 
waged by all freedom-loving Filipinos and allies in the 
world" and said that, with its enactment, the Philippines 
would no longer be a haven for terrorists.  The U.S. 
Embassy's statement congratulated "the Philippine Government 
and Congress for this positive step forward in countering and 
preventing terrorism in the Philippines" by providing needed 
legal tools while "ensuring protection of civil liberties and 
human rights." 
 
¶2.  (U) President Arroyo publicly promised that the law would 
not be used to stifle political dissent and assured that 
"law-abiding Filipinos have nothing to fear . . . for it is a 
weapon that shall be wielded against bombers and not 
protesters,"  but most leftist legislators and organizations 
disagreed.  Opposition Senator "Jamby" Madrigal called the 
new law "a license to kill" that gives President Arroyo "the 
powers of a dictator to punish her enemies by branding them 
terrorists."  Leftist party-list Congressman Satur Ocampo 
called the law a "death knell" to civil liberties and human 
rights.  Party-list Congresswoman Liza Maza called the 
signing a "virtual declaration" of martial law and an 
"endorsement of torture."  Labor organizer Joel Maglunsod 
warned that the government would use the law to "stop and 
suppress all forms of legitimate crusades by the people 
against anti-people policies."  Communist Party of the 
Philippines spokesman "Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal called the 
new law "the most fascistic legal instrument of the state 
since the 1972 declaration of martial law and Marcos's open 
dictatorial rule," which "serves only the US and local 
fascists' interests."  He labeled it "an extremely vicious 
and evil instrument that will be used by Arroyo to suppress 
the Filipino people," and urged "all NPA units to carry out 
tactical offensives nationwide to punish the Arroyo regime 
and its armed forces." 
 
¶3.  (U) Current President of the influential Catholic 
Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Bishop Angel Lagdameo 
said in an interview on March 7 that, while terrorism must be 
condemned in the most absolute terms, the right to defend 
against it must be exercised in the context of "moral and 
legal norms" and with respect for human rights and the rule 
of law.  In a personal commentary posted on the Conference's 
website, typically outspoken Archbishop Oscar Cruz praised 
the removal from the legislation of "much of its sharp and 
mortal fangs" but said it still "raises many legitimate 
doubts and questions," particularly with respect to 
definitions of key terms, such as what constitutes 
"extraordinary fear and panic." 
 
¶4.  (U) The Leyte Regional Trial Court on March 7 issued a 
warrant of arrest for Congressman Satur Ocampo for a 23-year 
old murder case stemming from an internal purge of NPA 
members.  Ocampo went into hiding following the arrest order. 
 In a "secret" interview on March 8, Ocampo called the 
charges baseless and a gross miscarriage of justice, and said 
the government is afraid of party list presence in Congress. 
Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Sison and 
National Democratic Front chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni, 
both in self-exile in the Netherlands, are also defendants in 
the case. 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website: 
http:// www.state.sgov.gov/ 
KENNEY