MANILA - Actress Chai Fonacier on Independence Day defended celebrities who are being bashed on social media for criticizing government policies, saying artists are also entitled to freedom of speech.

Several local and international celebrities have been campaigning against the passage of the anti-terror bill, saying its "vague" definition of terrorists can be used to stifle criticisms against the government.

Fonacier did not mention specific celebrities, but said that the netizens -- who have been calling out celebrities for commenting on political issues -- seem to have forgotten that celebrities are "citizens" and not "commodities."

"I think artists have to speak up because we have the right to do so.
Hindi kami dekorasyon lang (We are not just decorations). We are citizens. We are not commodities," the actress said in an online Independence Day protest where she pushed for freedom of speech, among other issues.

"Hindi kami mga palamuti sa mga sala ninyo na maaari ninyong sabihan kung ano ang pwede naming maging saloobin, anong hindi pwede sabihin... All our voices matter in this issue. Buhay natin ang nakataya and we should have a say in this," she said.

• READ: Celebrities urge gov't to defend West PH Sea, junk Anti-Terror bill in online Independence Day protest

Fonacier urged other celebrities to "speak up," to "avoid fear" and defend the freedom hard-earned by the country's revolutionary heroes and martyrs during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

"Evil leaders are scared of truth when expressed in stories... Truth makes the evil types of capitalists lose sales, truth makes powerful people crumble, truth makes evil people in power afraid," she said.

"So tell your stories. Tell your stories from home. Tell your regional stories, tell your barangay stories, tell it... Tell the stories of injustice, tell your stories of love and hate and hope or the lack of it. We are all artists in our own right," she said.

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Fonacier cited the works of filmmaker Lino Brocka during the martial law era as example of an artist using his craft to "speak truth to power."

"Don't insult our artist ancestors who fought for us. Hindi na pwede ang duwag sa panahon ngayon," she said.

"If we want to defend this land, and the freedoms our ancestors fought so hard for us to have, speak truth to power. Don't disregard the artists," she said.

"And to the other artists out here, huwag kayong matakot."

Among the celebrities who were bashed online were Kapamilya stars Coco Martin and Kim Chiu, who criticized the government for shutting down ABS-CBN despite the network's pending franchise renewal documents in Congress.

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Some politicians also criticized Miss Universe queens Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray for campaigning against the passage of the Anti-Terror bill.

• 'Stay engaged, our voices count': Catriona Gray urges followers to research amid #JunkTerrorBillNow movement
• 'Daming epal, namimintas': Sotto claims some critics don't understand anti-terror bill