MALOLOS
CITY—Malacanang ally and former Akbayan partylist Rep. Risa Hontiveros has
called for a “strike down of three poisonous provisions” of the controversial
Anti-Cybercrime Law.
The
three provisions that must be removed, Hontiveros said, are the cyber libel
clause, real time data monitoring, and the take down clause.
Speaking
to journalists during the launch of the Risa Hontiveros for Senator Movement
here on Monday afternoon, the former militant partylist representative
described the three provisions as “unconstitutional.”
She
explained that even the President is willing to decriminalize libel law as
stated in Article 353 of the over-80-year-old Revised Penal Code, and yet,
penalties for internet libel are increased in the Republic Act 10175 or the Anti-Cybercrime
Law.
Hontiveros
said that real time monitoring and take down clauses of RA10175 are
unconstitutional because they require no court order for implementation.
“It
runs counter to thet freedom of expression and of the press as guaranteed in the
1987 Constitution,” she said in the vernacular.
As
a former legislator, Hontiveros said that before RA 10175 was passed into law,
the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill should have been passed first.
She
said that the FOI could have served as a magna carta or mother framework for
all other laws with regards to the media.
“They
should have passed the FOI Bill first and it could have repealed the antiquated
libel laws,” she said.
Hontiveros
also expressed optimism on the possibilities that the FOI Bill will still be
passed before the end of the 15th Congress.
“It
can still be passed, otherwise, it will be refiled in the 16th Congress,” she
said.
Earlier,
the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of newspapers in
the country issued a pooled editorial demanding the passage of the long delayed
FOI Bill.
“Quick
and correct action. This is the best and justly deserved path for the House of
Representatives to take on the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill,” the PPI said
in the pooled editorial issued on Monday.
They
added that that “Slow and wrong. This is the worst and justly reasonable
judgment that Filipino voters would have of the House members, most especially
of those seeking re-election in May 2013, should the FOI fail to pass.”
The
pooled editorial further said, “time, the dribble drivel in the House, and an
Executive seemingly less than lame in his support for the bill – the odds seem
stacked against the passage of the FOI bill in the 15th Congress. This is even
as the Senate had passed its version of the bill on third and final reading
before Christmas last.”
As
the 15th Congress draws to a close, the PPI said, “Only nine session days
remain from January 21, when lawmakers return to work after a month-long
holiday break, to Feb. 6, 2013, after which lawmakers will have another
extended break and plunge into election campaign mode.
They
will have just three more session days in June intended mainly for closing
ceremonies, before adjourning sine die to give way to the incoming 16th
Congress on June 30, 2013.”
They
warned that that failure by the incumbent House to pass the FOI up to third
reading is certain death for the bill in the 15th Congress.
This
means that legislative work on the bill will revert to step one yet again in
the 16th Congress. (Dino Balabo)
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