Cruz warns vs. anti-terror bill
Lingayen – Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz has warned against the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, describing it as a “very dangerous bill” when passed at this time.
Cruz said he fears that anybody who is critical of the administration, who will go on rallies and marches against the administration can easily be branded as terrorists and can be eliminated as such.
He pointed out that the bill may be good in the hands of good people “but dangerous in the hands of devious men and women.”
The passage of an anti-terrorism law today “will simply make political killings legitimate,” he warned.
The bill if passed will be subject to various interpretations to serve political interests since not even the United States and the United Nations do not know how to define “terrorists”.
“An anti-terrorism law will make Martial Law a fact, a de facto rule in the country, without declaring it,” Cruz said.
At the same time, he pointed out that the political killings phenomenon in the country has worsened and has established a common denominator – all victims, including 18 Protestant pastors, are critics of the Arroyo administration, and suspects that the next victims will be priests and bishops.
“We have yet to hear of an administration ally who was killed under the same circumstances,” Cruz said.
He said it is obvious that “the administration knows something about the killings.”
The outspoken archbishop expressed wonderment why the Arroyo government opted to create Melo Commission that has no adequate funding when the police and military units of the government backed by with its billions of pesos in intelligence funds could not put a stop to the political killings.
He said the commission was foisted as a prop so the President can claim that she did not renege in her job to try to put a stop to the killings.
“Sa tingin ko may blessings ang government regarding the killings,” Cruz intoned as he expressed support to elevate the issue to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
He revealed that a group called PARDDS that filed a petition before the UN body, has raised the issue of killing of farmers to the Catholic Bishops Conference. – EVA
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