Resolution in Support of Philippines Human Rights Act

Authors (2020-2021): Daisha Campbell (ASI Director of Legislative Affairs), Sophia Gonzales (Filipinx Student Representative), Ginelle Lourdes Calleja (ASI CHHSN Representative), and Rihab Shuaib (ASI President)

Approved by ASI Board of Directors on October 23, 2020

WHEREAS, The Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI) is the official student voice of more than 15,000 students at California State University, Dominguez Hills; and

WHEREAS, It is the mission of the ASI “to advocate for the student rights, render an official voice through which students’ opinions may be expressed and provide educational, social and cultural activities which enhance student life at California State University, Dominguez Hills”1; and

WHEREAS, It is ASI’s mission to serve, engage, empower, and inform CSUDH students about issues that affect our student population; and

WHEREAS, CSUDH, home to hundreds of Filipino students, faculty, and staff, and is located in Carson, CA, home to over 16,000 Filipino residents, all of whom are directly affected and concerned by human rights violations conducted under the Anti-Terror Law; and

WHEREAS, The Anti-Terror Bill was introduced by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration to impose stricter guidelines on the 2007 Human Security Act in the Philippines; and

WHERAS, The bill expanded the definition of terrorism, allowing for various interpretations of who can be deemed a ‘terrorist’ to the state. As a result, the bill criminalizes government critique and vilifies dissent as “ terroristic intent”, which targets Filipino citizens, including human rights defenders, critical journalists, scholars, and students to be wrongfully suspected and convicted of terrorism; and

WHEREAS, Those deemed “terrorists” under the Anti-Terror Law may be subject to provisions that include but are not limited to: unwarranted surveillance, arrest without a warrant, and detention up to 24 days; and

WHEREAS, These provisions eliminate due process safeguards put in place to protect citizens, restrict freedom of speech, and intimidates criticism of the Philippine government, all of which are in complete violation of Philippine constitutional rights; and

WHEREAS, The Anti-Terror Bill was passed July 2020 in the Philippines, becoming the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, widely known as the Anti-Terror Law; and

WHEREAS, The Anti-Terror Law has alarmed the United Nations Human Rights Council, and has brought to light the numerous human rights violations committed by the current administration, including extrajudicial killings, red-tagging, and the “increased militarization through the imposition of emergency measures”; and

WHEREAS, Since President Duterte’s candidacy in 2016, $550 million U.S. tax dollars5 have been provided as monetary aid to the Philippines from the United States, in which the Duterte administration’s allocation of those funds towards the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP)6. This has resulted in the all-too-recent history of systemic human rights violations in the course of the Drug War, a militarized response amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the congressional refusal to renew the franchise of the farthest reaching television network, ABS-CBN; and

WHEREAS, Given the implications of the Anti-Terror Law, vilification of dissent and critique is increasingly institutionalized, and the current Philippine administration’s vast record of human rights violations, Filipinx CSUDH students are unsure of the safety and security of their family in the Philippines, as well as their own safety within the diaspora; and

WHEREAS, Across the 23 CSU campuses and California State Student Association (CSSA), students have voiced their concerns regarding Human Rights violations occurring in the Philippines. Students have actively shown their deepest regards through protests, endorsements of the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA), and educating their communities on the injustice of the Anti-Terror Law; and

WHEREAS, Students enrolled in CSU Dominguez Hills have expressed their concerns and opposition to the Anti-Terror Law and human rights violations. Many have called for action to endorse the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA); and

WHEREAS, In response to the innumerable human rights violations committed by the Duterte administration against the Filipino people, ICHRP-US, Malaya Movement, Kabataan Alliance, and partnering organizations have come together to put forward the Philippine Human Rights Act; and

WHEREAS, A grassroots movement, the Philippine Human Rights Act seeks “to suspend United States security assistance to the Philippines until such time as human rights violations by Philippine security forces cease and the responsible state forces are held accountable”; and

WHEREAS, The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), representing 12.5 million American workers, released a statement, firmly endorsing the passing of the PHRA; and

WHEREAS, Representative Susan Wild, representing the 7th congressional district of Pennsylvania, introduced and sponsored the PHRA as a bill (H.R. 8313) to Congress, while asserting that “the US will not participate in the repression [of the Filipino people]”10; and

WHEREAS, Bill H.R. 8313 currently has 29 congressional co-sponsors, and has been referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services for consideration within the jurisdiction of each committee; therefore, let it be

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills stands in solidarity with Pilipinx-American Student Community, Pagsikapan (PASC) at CSUDH, our Filipino community in Carson, CA, and Filipinos around the world, in their fight for human rights, safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and against the implications of the Anti-Terror Law; be it further

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills condemns the reprehensible actions of the current Philippine presidency, including, but not limited to, the passing of the Anti-Terror Law; be it further

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills firmly endorses the Philippine Human Rights Act, Bill H.R. 8313; be it further

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills will support all campus-wide efforts in educating students on the aforementioned issues; be it further

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills calls upon CSUDH Academic Senate to pass a resolution in support of PHRA.

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills calls upon the Cal State Student Association (CSSA) and the California State University Chancellor’s Office to openly condemn the human rights violations committed by the current Philippine government, and endorse the Philippine Human Rights Act; be it further

RESOLVED, That Associated Students, Inc. at California State University, Dominguez Hills calls upon Congressional Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán, of California’s 44th congressional district, to join Representative Susan Wild and the additional 29 representatives in sponsoring Bill H.R. 8313; be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution will be distributed widely, and specifically to: The students of CSUDH; University President, Thomas A. Parham and; Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Michael E. Spagna; Vice President of Administration and Finance, Deborah Wallace; Vice President of Student Affairs, William Franklin; Vice President of University Advancement, Scott Barrett; Associate Vice President of Student Success, Ruttanatip Chonwerawong; Interim Associate Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students, Matthew Smith; Vice President of Information Technology, Chris Manriquez; the California State Student Association (CSSA); the CSUDH Academic Senate; Academic Affairs; Student Affairs; CSU Chancellor, Timothy White, CSU Chancellor-select, Joseph Castro; Congresswoman Nannette Diaz Barragán; California State University Board of Trustees