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The “Terror Bill” Being Concocted by Congress
is Unconstitutional! |
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24 April 2003
HB 5923 or the
Anti-Terrorism Bill provides a very vague definition of terrorism or the
acts that constitute terrorism. It is so vague that it leaves people
guessing as to what it really means. As such, the bill violates the right
to due process, enshrined in the
If passed into law, the
“Terror Bill” can be abused by government to stifle legitimate dissent
akin to what we have seen during the Martial Law years.
HB 5923 defines terrorism
as:
“when any person or group
of persons uses, or threatens to use violence principally directed against
civilians or non-combatant persons, or causes damage or destruction
against properties with the intent of creating a common danger, terror,
panic or chaos to the public or a segment thereof”
(Section 3).
The question is, what
constitutes “violence” or “damage or destruction against
properties”? What differentiates an act of terrorism from an ordinary
crime? When is a murder considered as “terrorist murder” or a kidnapping a
“terrorist kidnapping”? Worse, the bill does not provide the basis how one
proves “intent of creating a common danger, terror, panic or chaos to the
public or a segment thereof.” What evidences do you need to prove intent? It is
for this reason that workers remain suspicious about the real intent of
the bill. Is it really being designed to fight terrorism or to stifle,
even criminalize, legitimate dissent?
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