UN human rights chief urges Duterte not to enact anti-terror bill

The United Nations’ human rights chief on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to "refrain from signing" the anti-terrorism bill for it dilutes human rights safeguards.

During her presentation on the Philippines’ situation report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said the recent passage of the controversial anti-terrorism bill “heightens their concern about the blurring of important distinctions between criticism, criminality and terrorism.”

Bachelet said the anti-terrorism bill could have a “further chilling effect” on human rights and humanitarian work, “hindering support to vulnerable and marginalized communities.”

She called on Duterte to craft a bill that has more safeguards.

“[I] would urge the president to refrain from signing the law and to initiate the broad face consultation process to draft this legislation that can effectively prevent and counter violent extremism which contains some safeguards to prevent its misuse against people engaged in peaceful criticism and advocacy,” Bachelet said.

If Duterte does not veto or sign the bill, it will lapse into law on July 9, a month after it was transmitted to Malacanang.

She also said her office was ready to assist the Philippine government in reviewing a new draft for the law.

In her report, which was released on June 4, Bachelet cited the proposed measure among “worrying new laws and amendments” that “risk eroding constitutional and other legal protections.”

Her report also mentioned bills to restore the death penalty for drug-related offenses and to lower the age of criminal responsibility, which she said "would breach the Philippines' obligations under international human rights law." -NB, GMA News