The participants of the “Lobby and Advocacy Training/Workshop” currently being held in Iligan City July 6-9, 2007, who are all members of the Council of Peoples’ Representatives (CPR) of the Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM), would like to register their deep concern over the passage of “The Human Security Act of 2007” (Republic Act 9372) which takes effect soon.

The Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM) is a convergence for the unity of the tri-peoples of Mindanao, and a grassroots, community-based multi-sectoral peace alliance/network/coalition of human rights and peace groups, non-government and peoples’ organizations, the academe, religious, civic, business and professional groups committed to the search for a genuine and lasting peace in Mindanao through peaceful means. MPPM is made up of the Katawhang Lumad, the Mindanao Migrants/Descendants (also called Christian Settlers) and the Bangsamoro people.

In the past, MPPM voiced its opposition to the “anti-terror” bills for the simple reason that even before their passage into law, the Bangsamoro people have already often been suspected of being terrorists for the flimsiest of reasons. Over the past years especially after the 9/11 terror attack, we hear testimonies and reports of the Bangsamoro being summarily picked up, tortured and even killed simply for mere suspicion of being terrorists or allies of terrorists. This law will now further sow terror among our Muslim brothers and sisters and among other citizens of this land.

Our other concerns echo other groups’ observations that the definition of terrorism is broad, that the law is superfluous since most of the crimes are already defined and penalized by the Revised Penal Code and special laws, and that surveillance and arrests without warrants, monitoring of private conversations/meetings for whatever reasons violate the peoples’ right to privacy. Also, the unnecessary length of detention without warrants may subject those arrested to possible torture.

At present, extra-judicial killings and disappearances of vocal critics like community leaders, church leaders/workers, students, journalists and other media people continue and remain unsolved. The signing into law of the Human Security Act further engenders fear and apprehension especially of citizens who continually fight to uphold and protect the rights of peoples. Even without the Human Security Act, the coercive instruments of the State had at times been used to silence or stifle the exercise of the rights of the people under our Constitution. The provision allowing surveillance even for seemingly valid reasons and the longer period allowed by present laws to detain people without judicial warrants, we believe, violate the letter and spirit of the Supreme Law of the land.

Far from protecting our people from terrorism, the Human Security Act will sow terror in the hearts and minds of common citizens. Human security, we believe, lies not in the passage of this law but in building a society where, in the eloquent language of the late Senator Jose W. Diokno, there is “food and freedom, jobs and justice” and where all-encompassing love and justpeace reign.

For these reasons, we call on our legislators to re-study and hopefully repeal “The Human Security Act of 2007” and/or for the Supreme Court of the Philippines to declare it unconstitutional.

ALVARO O. SENTURIAS, JR.

Chairperson

AMABELLA L. CARUMBA

Secretary-General

Mindanao Peoples’ Peace Movement (MPPM)

c/Secretariat’s Office, 0044 Macapagal Highway, Brgy. Tubod, Iligan City, Mindanao, Philippines

tel.# : 063-2232508; fax : 063-2233658

e-mail: mppm4peace yahoo.com