BAYAN – Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
June 22, 2022

The NSC and NTC orders to block websites including independent media and progressive groups such as Bayan are a blatant attack on free speech. The orders show how arbitrary the use of terrorist-labelling and red-tagging have become. The orders to block certain websites are devoid of any due process and rely merely on guilt by association. No specific offense or evidence was ever cited to justify the blocking of Bulatlat et al except for the Anti-Terrorism Council resolutions that do not pertain to Bulatlat et al. This again highlights the dangers of the anti-Terror Law.

The sloppiness of the work is made evident when in the NTC order to telcos, the subject heading used was “for blocking- illegal cockfighting websites”.

We urge telcos to reject these illegal and baseless orders from the NTC and NSC. Our lawyers are preparing to question these issuances before the proper courts.

The last-minute orders come less than a month before the end of Duterte’s term. The regime is desperately trying to silence all opposition to its reign of tyranny. In doing so, it further exposes itself as a throwback to the Martial Law regime of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.

We call on the media, free speech advocates, and opponents of the “terror law” to stand together and push back against this latest attack. The next National Security Adviser is also urged to revoke these illegal orders and to cease attacks on free speech and freedom of association. ###