Philippines' anti-terror law poses a direct threat to democracy

It will be up to the country's next president to decide how to implement it

Criselda Yabes

March 26, 2022 05:00 JST

Indigenous persons known as Lumads join a rally against the anti-terror law in Manila in July 2020: draconian laws will fuel rebellion. © AP

Criselda Yabes is a journalist based in the Philippines. She is author of "The Battle of Marawi," her 10th book, which was published last year.

When the Philippine Supreme Court voted to uphold most of President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial anti-terror law in December, the person who stood to benefit the most was Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the current front-runner to win the May 9 presidential election.