Filipino Group Raps Bush on Civil Liberties

NCM Civil Liberties Watch

Philippine News, Lito Gutierrez, Posted: Jan 23, 2003

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (Naffaa) criticized the Bush Administration’s “overzealous efforts” in its anti-terrorist drive which it has allegedly pursued “at the expense of basic human rights and fundamental civil liberties.”

In a strongly worded statement issued over the weekend, the association, through spokesman Jon Melegrito, reminded the government that the US Constitution “guarantees the rights to a presumption of innocence, access to counsel, due process in judicial proceedings, and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures.”

Naffaa, which is the umbrella organization of FilAm groups all over the US, issued the statement in the wake of what it said were “blatant examples of racial profiling.”

Citing the American Civil Liberties Union as a source, the association said “over 99 percent” of the thousands of Arabs, South Asians and Muslims who have been arrested have “not been charged with any crimes related to terrorism.”

It also mentioned the recent arrest in Los Angeles of hundreds of Iranians and other Muslim men “who turned up in compliance” of new homeland security laws.

“This is reminiscent of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II,” the association said.

Naffaa also said that because the Philippines is in the American list of “al-Qaeda active” nations, Filipino immigrants have been “unfairly targeted.” It referred to the case of the 10 mechanics in Texas who were rounded up and detained for months as suspected terrorists, only to be released shortly before Christmas after pleading guilty to relatively less serious immigration violations.

“We are gravely concerned over several acts and orders recently enacted at the Federal level, including the Patriot Act,” the association said.

It scored US Attorney General John Ashcroft who has:

Secretly arrested and detained over a thousand terrorist suspects whose names have not been released;

Proposed the creation of detention camps for US citizens whom the government deems, without judicial review, to be “enemy combatants;”

Ordered people to be held in jail without charges even if the Patriot Act requires that charges be filed within seven days of an arrest;

Ordered the continued detention of people even after an immigration judge has found them eligible for release;

Expanded the government’s ability to conduct secret searches without warrants.

The association asked the country’s political leaders to “monitor the implementation of the Patriot Act and executive orders issued pursuant to the act.”

It warned that the “overzealous execution” of the act would be a major victory for terrorists.

Naffaa also called on”all Americans to speak out against government attempts to stifle any criticism or dissent against this steady erosion of our civil rights.”

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