Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 11) — The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) designated four leaders of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) as “terrorists” – less than a month after the group sought a writ of amparo before the Supreme Court (SC).
The designation will allow the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate and freeze the financial assets and properties of the tagged individuals.
The ATC has accused Windel Bolinget, Jen Awingan, Sarah Abellon-Alikes, and Steve Tauli of being members of the Ilocos Cordillera Regional White Area Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
The council said its decision was based on \”verified and validated information, sworn statements, and other pieces of evidence gathered by Philippine law enforcement agencies.\”
Paragraph 3, Section 25 of Republic Act 11479 states that the council may designate an individual, group of persons, organization, or association, upon a finding of probable cause, who commit, or attempt to commit or conspire in the commission of acts of terrorism.
‘Anti-terror law as a weapon’
The CPA, meanwhile, condemned the designation and other \”relentless attacks against indigenous peoples activists.\”
\”Clearly, the ATA (Anti-Terrorism Act) is used as an instrument to stifle dissent and target activists,\” it added.
The group urged the high court on June 19 to issue a writ of amparo against government agencies and the police who allegedly engage in red-tagging. It was previously denied by the Court of Appeals due to \”lack of substantial evidence.\”
LINK: Cordillera activists seek writ of amparo from SC for protection against red-tagging
Rights group Karapatan also denounced the ATC’s \”baseless\” and \” arbitrary\” designation of Cordillera activists and called on human rights advocates and groups to renew the call for the repeal of the anti-terror law.
\”We deplore the increasing use of terror laws against activists and peasants to suppress political dissent and violate basic rights and civil liberties, as what numerous human rights advocates and groups have warned when the Anti-Terrorism Act was signed into law,” Karapatan said.
For the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self Determination and Liberation, publicizing the names of the activists puts their lives in grave danger, including their families, loved ones, organizations, and communities.
