DILG chief reiterates need for revival of Anti-Subversion Law

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Wednesday reiterated that the Anti-Subversion Law must be revived to curb the continuing recruitment of communist rebels in the country.

"Our present laws, the Revised Penal Code, and special penal laws only penalize the individual acts of communist terrorist groups while the revival of the Anti-Subversion Law would declare illegal the mere recruitment or membership to these illegal organizations. The Human Security Act is also deficient," Año said in a statement.

He added that this measure will significantly paralyze the growing movement of the communist rebels in urban areas which, according to him, fuels the armed struggle in the mountains.

"We will be able to stifle their so-called ‘legal front organizations’ that provides sustenance to the underground mass organizations. It will be the beginning of an inevitable end,"  he said.

Año said that around 500 to 1,000 young people are recruited by the communist group every year—10 percent of which allegedly take up arms.

Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said that the military is ready to support Año's proposal to criminalize subversion "if the policymakers believe that it will help in the security" of the country.

The Palace said that the proposed restoration of the Anti-Subversion Law requires study.

The Communist Party of the Philippines said many workers, students, and peasant have been "unjustly accused and incarcerated" under the said law.

"The revival of the anti-subversion law, as proposed by DILG Sec. Eduardo Año, will only result in military and police abuses and violations of democratic rights far worse than what we have already experienced in the past three years," it said in a statement.

The CPP added the law previously did not succeed in hindering the growth of the communist movement.

"If the anti-subversion law is revived, the Duterte government will only succeed in further rousing the people to resist his tyranny. It will only foment greater dissent." it said.

The Anti-Subversion Act or Republic Act No. 1700 was passed in 1957 during the tenure of former President Carlos Garcia. It declared members of the CPP as outlaws and penalized membership therein. It was repealed in 1992. —Dona Magsino/ LDF, GMA News