United Nations (UN) high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet urged President Rodrigo Duterte not to sign the Anti-Terror bill into law. In her speech before the 44th session of the Human Rights Council, she stated that the bill “heightens our concerns about the blurring of important distinctions between criticism, criminality and terrorism.”

#Philippines: New Anti-Terrorism Act heightens our concerns about the blurring of important distinctions between criticism, criminality and terrorism. I urge the President to refrain from signing the law – UN Human Rights Chief @mbachelet at #HRC44.

Read: https://t.co/soCh2sBPrP pic.twitter.com/wWxdcEvcq3

— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) June 30, 2020

Instead, she urged Duterte to draft a legislation that has safeguards against the abuses that the bill may allow. She is also offering assistance through her office to do a review of the bill.

[READ: Terrorism undefined: The Anti-Terrorism Bill is an indication of an authoritarian regime]

“I would urge the president to refrain from signing the law and to initiate a broad-based consultation process to draft legislation that can effectively prevent and counter violent extremism–but which contains some safeguards to prevent its misuse against people engaged in peaceful criticism and advocacy,” she said.

She stated that the bill may have negative effects on humanitarian work. “The law could have a chilling effect on human rights and humanitarian work, hindering support to vulnerable and marginalized communities,” Bachelet said.

Last June 9, Congress transmitted the controversial bill to the Malacañang for Duterte’s signature. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the president was “inclined” to sign it into law. However, even without the president’s signature, the bill will lapse into law 30 days after its receipt—eight days from today, on July 10.

The possible enactment of the law will allow authorities to arrest those “suspected” of terrorism without a warrant and detain them for up to 24 days, among other provisions.

[READ: The 122 children killed by Duterte’s war on drugs weren’t just collateral damage —rights groups]

Bachelet also mentioned the findings of Duterte’s war against drugs for having severe human rights violations, citing the killings of human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and trade unionists from 2015 to 2019.

Header photo courtesy of Grig Montegrande from Philippine Daily Inquirer

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