On July 3, 2020, Republic Act No. 11479, commonly known as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, was passed into law in the Philippines. This new legislation effectively repealed Republic Act No. 9372, also known as the Human Security Act of 2007 (HSA), and aimed to prevent and prohibit terrorism. Due to the broad definition of terrorism and the acts included therein, critics believe that the Anti-Terrorism Act was signed with the ulterior motive of deterring government criticism, raising questions about the act’s legality.
Read MoreAt present, there is a major international crisis occurring in the South China Sea. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other nations have overlapping claims on both terrestrial and maritime areas in the region; these areas particularly contain large deposits of valuable natural resources (such as hydrocarbons and natural gas).[1] Give both China creating artificial islands along the Paracel and Spratly island chains to increase their potential regional military presence, and the increase in militarization from other nations, the South China Sea crisis looks to be an intricate geopolitical crisis.[2]
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