The Integrated Bar of the Philippines Western Visayas Region headed by Raymund J.A. Mercado has joined groups concerned with the protection of civil liberties.

The group expressed concern that Republic Act 9372, or the Human Security Act of 2007, while having good intentions is fraught with much leeway for abuse and trampling of basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of privacy, freedom, liberty of abode, among others.

The IBP held a meeting recently at Ortigas in Pasig City attended by former Senator Rene Saguisag, Genunine Opposition spokesperson Adel Tamano, Lawyers for Civil Liberties head Neri Colmenares, and other IBP governors in other regions. The lawyers said they are apprehensive over some sections of the new law. These are Sections 7 [surveillance and wiretapping operations] 18 and 19 [arrest of persons without judicial warrants], 26 [house arrest with prohibition against using cellphones, emails, etc] 27 [examination of bank deposits and financial papers] and 39 [seizure, sequestration and freezing of properties], among others.

The group will hold a symposium on July 20, at the Justice JBL Reyes Hall, IBP Building, Ortigas, in Pasig, and will file a petition before the Supreme Court for the declaration of some provisions as unconstitutional. Mercado said he encourages all IBP chapters in the Western Visayas Region, among them the Oriental Negros cluster headed by Sam Tahir, to conduct a series of symposium on the law so that the public will be well informed as to its extent of coverage and he perceived "bad" provisions.*RG

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