At 6pm on July 3, news broke on the ‘terror bill’ being signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte and almost instantly, #JunkTerrorLaw and #OUSTDUTERTENOW became trending topics.
Republic Act No 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 came to be despite massive opposition from all quarters of Philippine society since it was being railroaded in Congress by end of May. The bill would have lapsed into law by July 9, or 30 days after it was transmitted to the president from Congress. The opposition to the bill saw the first physical protest rallies even before the lockdown was eased to a general community quarantine in Metro Manila by June 1.
The public dubbed the measure as ‘terror bill’ for various provisions they found unconstitutional and violative of human rights, as well as seen to target government critics and dissenters and not only actual terrorists.
From the viral #JunkTerrorBill, netizens now tweeted #JunkTerrorLaw.
"Why are you scared if you're not a terrorist?"
Cebu 7, Iligan 16, Piston 6, Pride 20: They're not terrorists but they were assaulted, illegally arrested, and detained!
Everyone who speaks up for human rights is not safe!#JunkTerrorLaw!
— Mon Sy #JunkTerrorBillNow #FreePride20 (@YearoftheMonSy) July 3, 2020
Our fundamental rights are at stake now that President Duterte signed the anti-terror bill into law, July 3. Ever since Congress drafted the bill, the public has relentlessly expressed their fear of the massive human rights abuses the bill may bring in its wake. #JunkTerrorLaw pic.twitter.com/KqPaDay3G5
— Philippine Collegian (@phkule) July 3, 2020
not “see you in jail”, but “see you in the streets” #JunkTerrorLaw #OustDuterte
— i, trisha (@thereseifurung) July 3, 2020
We are in the middle of a pandemic and a health crisis, but the priority of this government? They are flattening the curve of dissent.#OUSTDUTERTENOW #JunkTerrorLaw#FreeMassTestingNow pic.twitter.com/goVHPUR689
— mayka #SaveLumadSchools (@maykamaykaba) July 3, 2020
We are saddened by the signing Terror Bill that will silenced our fellow Filipino in calling out the government from their wrongdoings and mistreatments. #OUSTDUTERTENOW#VetoTerrorBilllNow
#JunkTerrorLaw pic.twitter.com/rnixdOKsBT— JENNIE VISION (@JennieVision) July 3, 2020
Black Friday
Highest #COVID19 cases in PH
Duterte signs Terror Bill
Major TV and radio broadcaster still off the air
PH government tone deaf to UN human rights report
Laban is our response. Fight tyranny.#JunkTerrorLaw
— Mong Palatino (@mongster) July 3, 2020
DON’T LET FEAR REIGN. #JunkTerrorLaw
— Kerwin King (@imkerwinking) July 3, 2020
Many also tweeted #OUSTDUTERTENOW.
Today is a very very dark day for democracy in the Philippines.#OUSTDUTERTENOW#VetoTerrorBilllNow
— Brrrrrrrrtt Brrrrtttt (@SirRencee) July 3, 2020
WILL TWEET THIS AS LONG AS IT IS NEEDED. #VetoTerrorBillNow#OUSTDUTERTENOW pic.twitter.com/Hy7lXLlHHe
— ً (@engineerhades) July 3, 2020
hUY ANONG SEE YOU IN JAIL SEE YOU IN JAIL???? SEE YOU IN THE STREETS!!!!! #OUSTDUTERTENOW
— ASHA (@axhasls) July 3, 2020
other asian countries turning covid free and returning back to their normal lives and this is what the philippine government is doing? no. WE WON’T BE SILENCED. #OUSTDUTERTENOW#VetoTerrorBilllNow
— aya (@dearbbrightwwin) July 3, 2020
Get organized and let's look after each other, friends! We outnumber them. #OustDuterteNow
— Glenn Diaz (@glennndiaz) July 3, 2020
They really continued to prioritize signing this bill over the lives of the Filipinos being lost in a pandemic. You have every reason to be mad and every right to criticize this government's incompetence.#OUSTDUTERTENOW#VetoTerrorBilllNow
— irish (@megurucchi) July 3, 2020
The cowardly fascist terrorist Rodrigo Duterte signed the Anti-Terrorism Act on a Friday, knowing full well that various groups are ready to file petitions to challenge the law before the Supreme Court and that courts are not open during Saturdays. #OustDuterteNow
— Philip Jamilla (@pmjamilla) July 3, 2020
A signed copy of the law was posted at the Official Gazette at around 10am on July 3.
