Sense of security

resident Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is bent on putting into effect the Human Security Act (HSA) beginning today amidst calls for deferment and clarifications from various sectors in society.

The administration dubs the implementation of the highly controversial law as an investment in peace and order. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the rural areas stand to benefit in terms of tourism and business investments since the HSA will finally address the ‘evil designs of terrorists’ which has been holding the countryside hostage. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita has seconded with a statement noting how billions of pesos and countless lives have been lost due to terror attacks.

Their arguments are weak and superficial because it does not address the major reservations against the HSA, including the fact that the implementing rules and regulations of the law has yet to be drafted and distributed to the country’s security forces including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, and the National Bureau of Investigation. Without clear definitions and proper guidelines, how can we expect the officers of these armed institutions to correctly carry out the battle against ‘terrorism’. What is terrorism anyway? Even that is not clear in the HSA.

Our new governor, Amado Espino Jr., has also recently called on the provincial police to carry out an aggressive campaign to address the insurgency problem in the eastern and western parts of Pangasinan. Another main argument against the HSA is the vague declaration contained in it that can possibly – or likely – declare automatically the New People’s Army as well as the Communist Party of the Philippines as terrorist groups. There comes the danger of arbitrary arrests.

We must also note that proper publication requirements and the essential public information campaign have yet to be undertaken by the government to enlighten the people on this new law.

Given the disturbing record of extra-judicial killings over the last three years under Macapagal-Arroyo’s leadership, we have a lot more reason to be alarmed and be afraid of the HSA than start feeling more secure with its implementation.

At this point, there is too much latitude for abuse. The HSA, though well-meaning, does not provide us with an authentic sense of security. The President, who definitely could not claim honesty and sincerity as among her strongest virtues, wants us to trust her and the law blindly.

We do want peace and order alongside tourism and overall economic development. Who doesn’t? But never at the price of our basic rights and the democracy that we fought so hard for.

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