Bea Patricia Magtanong popularly known as Patch Magtanong, is a Filipino lawyer, beauty queenand fashion model who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas International 2019. She represented the Philippines at Miss International 2019 where she was placed at Top 8 at the end of the event finale.
In July 2014, Magtanong graduated with a degree in business economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She later went back and complete her law degree and is a lawyer now. Since the entire world is fighting for the rights of black people after George Floyd, who died on the Memorial Day after he was pinned down by a white Minnesota police officer, has sparked outrage and protests in Minneapolis and across the United States. The people across the globe have been using their power of social media to protest the racism and standing up for what is right for the society. Our Binibining Pilipina International 2019 Patch Magtanong just like everyone also feels in a position where she should use her position and voice to raise awareness.
The lawyer queen used her social media to protest the racial discrimination in the world. She stated concern over the proposed anti-terror bill as she stated that might be used to abuse the people’s rights by the state and silence dissenters. Patch used her social media to point out the parts of the bill that are a cause of concern. She highlighted parts from Section 4 of the bill, particularly the one that states terrorism "shall not include advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, and other similar exercises of civil and political rights, which are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person's life, or to create a serious risk to public safety."
Patch who herself is a lawyer also quoted a few lines reacting to criticisms by some supporters of the controversial bill particularly the one on celebrities and beauty queens "whining without even reading the law." Replying to this quote from someone on her story, Patch stated, “That’s true. To be completely informed, we should all take time to read the bill. Swipe up for the SB1083 third reading copy. It's 63 pages but here are some of the pertinent sections you may want to look at. Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 16, 19, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31, 34, 42, 43, 45, 47."
She went on to compile some of the bill's "unconstitutional," "contentious," and "Draconian" elements such as the vague definition of the crime of terrorism, the manner and circumstances of its passage, justification of warrantless arrests, and surveillance activities for people "merely suspected" of committing the crimes defined. "One-night debates, no perfecting amendments, no bicameral conference committee. Terrorism already legislated in the RPC and Human Security Act, why was this bill certified as urgent?" the diva asked.
“What I really want to do is to be a lawyer advocating for justice and I don’t mean just justice for my clients but also social justice. I want to fight for the marginalized and the underrepresented groups and I want to be the voice for the voiceless.” Binibining Pilipinas International 2019 said. She has been imparting more valuable knowledge about the bill under the #JunkTheTerrorBill.
The anti-terror bill was approved on 3rd June 2020 and final reading by the House of Representatives and by the Senate was held the same day. The bill that’s up for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature intends to prevent terrorist acts, human rights advocates and lawyers say it could easily be abused by the state and used to silence dissenters.