Blog 5 : Philippines: New 'Cybercrime' Law Will Harm Free Speech

On September 12, 2012 Benigno Aquino III, President of the Philippines signed an act called the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 which will largely increase punishments for “criminal libel and gives authorities excessive and unchecked powers to shut down websites and monitor online information,'' according to Human Rights Watch. These laws will greatly affect the Philippines right to free expression and several legal cases have been filed in their Supreme Court because of it. Brad Adams, Asia director made the comment, “The cybercrime law needs to be repealed or replaced. It violates Filipinos' rights to free expression and it is wholly incompatible with the Philippine government's obligations under international law.” The new laws on certain cases like that of criminal libel, now when computer related make it as to where the new minimum punishment is raised from six months to six years. The maximum has went from six years in prison to twelve years. “Anybody using popular social networks or who published is now at risk of a long prison term should a reader—including government officials—bring a libel charge. Allegedly libelous speech, online or offline, should be handled as private civil matters, not a crime,” Adams said. This new law, aside from dealing issues including libel, now gives the Department of Justice, the ability to shut down any website it finds violating the law without warning or warrant. This also makes it possible for the police to gather computer data in real time without having a warrant or court order.

I find this situation and the way the government is treating its citizens to be a huge issues when it comes to their rights. The Philippines constitution and human rights treaties ratifies by the Philippines clearly gives the citizens the right to freely express. Therefore what their government is trying to do to them now is most certainly unconstitutional. That would be the same as if our government suddenly tried to take away one of our most valuable rights, like the freedom of speech, it is promised to us by a code that is suppose to be unbroken. Therefore the government of Philippines is going back on their promises to its citizens, and taking away from their rights as humans of that country, which is in no way fair.

 

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/09/28/philippines-new-cybercrime-law-will-harm-free-speech