Human rights groups say the new law will give the police and military forces more powers to stifle dissent.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed a contentious antiterrorism bill Friday aimed at combating Islamic militancy in the south, a measure critics warned could lead to more widespread human rights abuses.
Muslims living in the southern Philippines have spoken out forcefully against the legislation to broaden powers of arrest and detention. On Friday, a regional government in the southern island of Mindanao that includes former separatist rebels urged Mr. Duterte’s government not to go through with the measure.
Rights groups and activists assert that the new law is designed to give Mr. Duterte’s police and military forces more powers to stifle dissent against his populist rule amid his war on drugs, which has killed thousands of people.
Mr. Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, said the new law was necessary to crack down on terrorism. “Terrorism, as we often said, strikes anytime and anywhere,” Mr. Roque said. “It is a crime against the people and humanity. Thus, the fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach.”
He stressed that terrorist acts in the Philippines have long “caused unimaginable grief and horror,” and added that the president and his legal team carefully reviewed the legislation before he signed it into law.
