Together against terrorism

Last month, we remembered successive terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of many of our fellow citizens and that our country can never forget. On Jan. 25, 2015, 44 members of the Special Action Force died during the execution of counterterrorism operations. On Jan. 27 two years ago, Jolo Cathedral was bombed and in late January of the same year, the Zamboanga mosque was also bombed.

There is no surprise that we ranked 9th in the 2019 Global Terrorism Index. This indicates that the terrorist situation in the country is real and getting worse.

It is extremely alarming that in 2019, two Filipino men were involved in a suicide bombing attack outside a military camp in Sulu and, according to the military, they were the first Filipino suicide bombers. This simply proves and indicates that the threats of terrorism in the country are legitimate.

These are some of the works of organizations associated with international terrorists. If we will include in the list the atrocities of the CPP-NPA, how long is that going to be? These are all part of the country’s bitter history that we do not want to be happening again.

We are victims of terrorism and it is about time that the country proves its potential and its authority to combat terrorism. I believe that is the purpose of the Anti-Terrorism Law. None of us can take advantage of terrorism and violence, therefore strengthening our counter-terrorism efforts is reasonable and the Anti-Terrorism Law will be a strong measure.

Some groups and individuals have expressed criticism of the said law and have filed 37 petitions to challenge the legality of the ATL, with oral arguments set to take place on Feb. 2.

But what about the people who recognize the importance of the legislation? The government may not simply ignore them, that is why the oral arguments must serve as an opportunity to dismiss the doubts of critics and lead to a comprehensive understanding by both sides and finally come up with a conclusion that this law will be effective in responding to the threat of terrorism and at the same time promote the protection of human rights.

As ordinary citizens, we cannot just sit back and relax while watching our country crumble at the hands of the terrorists. We can also curb terrorism by giving our support and trust, that the implementation of this law will attain its objective. But most importantly, we need to unite together as a nation to pursue peace.

– GAB DAGUIO, Baguio City