By Francis Baraan IV
For the past several days, Twitter has been inundated with strong opinions regarding the Anti-Terrorism Bill — from ordinary netizens to political influencers to human rights activists to A-List Filipino entertainment celebrities.
The concensus is pretty clear: vehement opposition against a bill which could potentially be used by an authoritarian, oppressive regime.
In fact, major celebrities like 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray and 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, both formerly apolitical — or on other political issues — have done something they have never done before: they elected to publicly share their opinion for the first time on something so poltically controversial.
Even multi-talented actress and artist Heart Evangelista-Escudero, whom I have never once seen or heard talk about politics despite her husband Governor Chiz Escudero’s decades-long political career, took to Twitter and chimed in on the issue.
And human rights activists, including myself, cheered them on, praised their participation, welcomed their opinions on the Anti-Terrorism Bill with open arms, and retweeted their tweets. Not everybody, though, were not as happy.
In a perfect world, we all should be celebrating because very prominent and visible celebrities have taken to Twitter to chime in — sharing their thoughts on the Anti-Terror Bill, raising awareness on the issue, inviting dialogue around the topic, and encouraging others to decide for themselves later on, based, of course, on the expert opinions of human rights lawyers.
However, it only underscored how strongly the celebs must have felt regarding the issue that they felt compelled to start using their voice already. And it just highlighted how they must have thought that it was important for them to actually join the #JUNKTERRORBILLNOW / #JunkTerrorBill movement.
What they did was essentially a very deliberate, active, conscious exercise of their free speech — for themselves — and on behalf of all the Filipino public.
Perhaps they were thinking that it might be the first time — and the last — they would actually be given a chance to exercise their right to free speech without having to entertaining the frightful possibility of being tagged as a terrorist.
But like I said, the Duterte Diehard Supporters and pro-regime bloggers were not exactly impressed (as expected). Far from it. If anything, they were actually being downright nasty & condescending towards them, and towards all the other mainstream celebrities and major influencers, who tweeted and voiced out their legitimate, valid concerns regarding the Anti-Terrorism Bill, a bill certified urgent by President Duterte, which was effectively a direct order from him to Congress: “Anti-Terrorism Bill must be passed it into law ASAP. It is THE Priority.”
TRANSLATION: COVID19 is not urgent. Silencing dissenters and gaslighting them is URGENT.
Apparently, a global pandemic is not urgent enough. Under the Duterte regime, shutting people up is more important.
Making free speech NOT free, is of paramount importance. And the DDS crowd agree.
But wait. Since the DDS don’t want huge celebrities with millions of followers to use their platform, shouldn’t we at least haggle and try to make a deal?
I have a suggestion: Any showbiz celebrity with over 500K followers on any social media platform will not publicly express any political opinion that does not fit into the DDS worldview; does not promote the DDS political agenda; and does not suit the DDS prevailing narrative or propaganda.
BUT THERE ARE TWO CAVEATS:
1. If the DDS doesn’t want Kathryn Bernardo, Jodi Sta. Maria, Angel Locsin, or Nadine Lustre to speak their minds, no DDS must be allowed to vote in 2022.
2. And all those ex-Artistas-turned-TraPos the Duterte sycophants elected into office last 2016 and 2019 must also immediately tender their resignation before the end of GCQ.
BASICALLY, AN EYE FOR AN EYE.
Since those DDS Regime Loyalists want to take away other people’s basic rights, they must also be prepared to to sacrifice one of their basic rights, too, right?
OTHERWISE, NO DEAL.
No way, Jose. A single tweet from Agot Isidro is far more powerful, far more accurate, and far more informative than all the Facebook blog posts of Andrew Olivar put together.
The DDS has been heavily criticizing Artistas for making a stand, and have been calling those Artistas papansin, tanga, and bobo. What’s ironic, though, is that they also were the ones who actually voted for Manny Pacquiao, Bong Revilla, and Tito Sotto, and are quick to applaud and excuse Duterte-worshipping Artistas like Robin Padilla, Vivian Velez, and Philip Salvador.
It’s the DDS — the Dutertean Double Standard — in action.
SELECTIVE AMNESIA and SELECTIVE INFORMATION FOR THE DDS CROWD.
They know that free speech is not just for a select, privileged few — it is for ALL citizens. But they choose to ignore and forget it.
THEY KNOW THAT FREE SPEECH IS FOR EVERYBODY.
It is for the rich, the poor, the famous, the obscure, the popular celebrity, the 7-hour election glitch TraPo Senator, the intelligent human rights lawyer, and yes — free speech is also for ANY immature, adult toddler.
That is the beauty of democracy.
But when fools and willfully blind dimwits use the principle of democracy as an excuse for their own selfish interests: to invalidate, diminish, and abolish the rights of others, that is not democracy.
When only some people are allowed to cast a vote, and those same people are also the only ones entitled to publicly express unsolicited advices/thoughts, to parrot the deliberately misleading “unbiased opinions” and fabricated “Komunista ka” accusations of Mocha Uson, and to terrorize the people — that’s just called DDS Double Standard Hypocrisy.
So, no. My position remains the same:
#JUNKTERRORBILLNOW.
ACTIVISM is NOT TERRORISM.
You know what is really a crime?
OPPRESSIVE, PARANOID REGIMES TRAMPLING, VIOLATING, & HIJACKING THE CONSTITUTIONALLY-PROTECTED, BASIC, INHERENT, UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE.
NOBODY SHOULD SERVE TIME FOR SPEAKING ONE’S MIND.
FREE SPEECH IS A RIGHT — NOT A CRIME.
What we should create is not an Anti-Terrorism Bill — but a bill against the tyranny of the DDS people’s incredible Herd Mentality.
A Bill for Herd Immunity vs Mass Stupidity.