Manila urged to eradicate terrorism, respect human rights<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): The Philippines should take a tougher stand
\nagainst international terrorism but must guard against
\nthreatening human rights and democracy, a senior US official and
\nFilipino legislators said.<\/p>\n
Their comments came amid growing public opposition to a
\nproposed bill aimed at fighting attempts to make the Philippines
\na base for international terrorists.<\/p>\n
The proposed law would allow certain arrests to be made
\nwithout warrants, as well as telephone tapping and access to
\nsuspects' bank accounts.<\/p>\n
Critics have accused President Fidel Ramos of pushing the bill
\nand other measures intended to fight a wave of bank robberies and
\nransom kidnappings as a prelude to imposing strong-arm rule
\nsimilar to Ferdinand Marcos' martial law regime.<\/p>\n
Winston Lord, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian
\nand Pacific affairs, said yesterday that in his meeting with
\nFilipino officials he stated \"the need to fight crime and
\nterrorism internationally.\"<\/p>\n
But he also \"expressed hope that human rights would be
\nrespected.\"<\/p>\n
\"There is always a debate and some tension in a free society
\nlike the Philippines between order and liberty,\" said Lord, who
\nis on the Manila leg of an Asian tour.<\/p>\n
\"We would show a sympathy for the need for your president and
\nyour congress ... to get at this problem of terrorists without
\ninfringing unduly or unfairly on human liberty,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Ramos' sister, Senator Leticia Shahani, said over state
\ntelevision that she would seek revisions to the proposed law --
\nwhich she described as a \"double edged sword\" -- to tone down its
\neffects on individual liberties.<\/p>\n
\"I would also be very careful about violations of human rights
\nand I certainly would not want a return to martial law under the
\nguise of protecting the citizenry against terrorism,\" she added.<\/p>\n
Police have said international terrorists were trying to set
\nup a base in the Philippines and could be plotting to sabotage
\nthe annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum
\nhere in November.<\/p>\n
They cited the arrest of 35 suspected Pakistani and Middle
\nEastern terrorists last year and their alleged links to Ramzi
\nYussef, the reported mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center
\nbombing in New York.<\/p>\n
Yussef was also linked to a mid-air blast inside a Philippine
\nAirlines jet over Japan in December 1994, in which a Japanese man
\nwas killed, and a plot to assassinate visiting Pope John Paul II
\nhere last January.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/manila-urged-to-eradicate-terrorism-respect-human-rights-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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