THE UGLY TRUTH
By Atty. Arnedo S. Valera
Exercise of freedom, not freedom from consequences
Share
If in the exercise of academic freedom, you actively advocate for these principles calling for the violent overthrow of the government and acting on it, then you violate the Constitution and existing Phil. National Security Laws. More so that the mainstream thinking and with more than 90% of the Philippine population are Christians, calling for the violent overthrow of the government through the Protracted People’s War will not succeed and communism will never be accepted in the Philippines.
Peaceful protests, espousing reforms through non-violent means will remain the norm and will not run counter against the Constitution and existing laws.
Several organizations and individuals (not red-baiting) can, if they are honest in their cause should without hiding anything (which they will not do obviously for security reasons should respond to questions in categorical terms whether they espouse violence to overthrow an existing government) and that they align their cause with the “underground organizations”, who for decades have been in People’s War for more than 50 years and in terms of dynamics of “ dialectical materialism”, that they need legal organizations to continue espousing this using mainstream social, political and economic issues.
The Philippines has enjoyed so much academic freedom and freedom of speech and assembly. Am not against activism, so long as it will not violate the Philippine Constitution and our national security laws.
Comments
About the Columnist
Arnedo S. Valera is a licensed New York and Philippine Attorney for more than 30 years. He has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs with International Law and Human Rights as areas of Specialization in Columbia University, NY. He has a Bachelor of Laws degree from Ateneo De Manila University. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) and Chairperson of the US Pinoys for Real Change in the Philippines (USPRCP), Metropolitan Washington D.C.