International and Philippine-based journalists join human rights advocates in opposing the country’s new Human Security Act. Also called the Anti-Terror Law, the Act not only instils fear among citizens but also threatens freedom of the press.

The passage of the Human Security Act, or Anti-Terror Law, which took effect on July 15, 2007, elicited opposition not only from Philippines human rights activists and peace advocates but from journalists as well.

Although Section 7 of the law clearly states that “surveillance, interception, and recording of communications between...journalists and their sources” will not be permitted, a statement from the country’s top justice ministry official saying that in certain circumstances, the government would be allowed to wiretap journalists, caused journalists to fear that freedom of expression may be threatened under the new law.

Philippine Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, in an interview with the Inquirer, said “You cannot wiretap [journalists]. Their interviews and sources are sacred,” but adds, “of course, unless there is sufficient basis or if they are being suspected of co-mingling with terror suspects.”

Under the law, those labelled “terrorist” as well as the accomplices and accessories to terrorism will face charges.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in a statement, said that what the justice secretary has said is “a serious threat to press freedom and the people’s right to know.”

“This statement [is] as vague and as fraught with danger as many of the anti-terror law’s provisions, especially those that supposedly define what terrorism is and who [the] terrorists are; provisions so open-ended they could actually lead to anyone and everyone who [the] government deems fit [of] being tagged a terrorist,” said the NUJP in its statement. Now, it has become unclear whether journalists could be considered accomplices or accessories to terrorism if they merely interview or report the statements of those labelled by the government as “terrorists”.

Press freedom defender Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), also expressed its concern.  “[T]he broad and vaguely defined measures of this law could be employed to harass journalists, particularly those covering violent crime, terrorism, and conflict in the Philippines. If the government cannot give an unqualified assurance that this law will not be used to inhibit the work of the press, then it should be repealed,” said CPJ executive director Joel Simon.

In the Philippines, press freedom is guaranteed in Article III, Section 4, of the 1987 Constitution, which states that no law can be passed that abridges freedom of speech or of the press. However, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s government has already repressed press freedom in February 2006 as the government declared a state of emergency because of an alleged coup and issued broad measures that barred news reporting, which officials interpreted as destabilising national security.

Related articles:
“Philippines: Human rights activists protest Anti-Terror Law” in we! July 2007, No. 2
“FREE FOR ALL: Keep Media Free Campaign” <http://free4all.isiswomen.org/>

Sources:
“In the Philippines, new anti-terror law threatens journalists” from the Committee to Protect Journalists, posted on July 18, 2007, <http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/asia/phil18july07na.html>.
“Journalists view HSA as threat to press freedom” from The News Today, posted on July 13, 2007, <http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/07/13/journalists.view.hsa.as.threat.to.press.freedom.html>.