the cybercrime prevention act of 2012

7/29/2019 The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012

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The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, also known as Republic Act 10175, may aim to bring

crime-fighting into the 21st century by addressing harmful acts committed with the use of the

worldwide web but it raises the risk of rights violations and curtailment of freedom of expressionand of the press by expanding the concept of the criminalized act of libel. The law also raises the

penal sentence for libel committed in cyberspace one year longer than that imposed in the Revise

Penal Code for libel in general.

It is highly advisable that the imperfections in the law, the provisions that conflict with other

aspects of good governance and national and international obligations, be corrected soon throughamendments. Strong leadership does not shirk from acknowledging the need to revise and

strengthen policy and law. The calls for amendment should not be seen as personal attacks on

anyones character or effectiveness.

UN scrutiny

This law was enacted just as the Philippines is about to face scrutiny by human rights experts in

the UN Human Rights Committee on its civil and political rights situation (on October 13). Onlya few months ago, the Committee, which monitors the compliance of states parties with the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), cited the Philippines forimprisoning a journalist under the RPC libel provision as being inconsistent with the ICCPRs

provision on freedom of expression.

The government had just recently had to defend and explain the countrys civil and political

rights record before lawmakers in the US and civil and political rights were a main area of

inquiry in May when the country underwent the Universal Periodic Review at the UN HumanRights Council.

Rather than expanding the number of acts and ways in which a person could be imprisoned andcriminally charged for libel, the Philippines has been urged for several years to decriminalize

libel.

In addition to the libel provision, there are other provisions that are inconsistent with rights

standards such as the lack of clear limits on the initial fact gathering by investigators will they

look into our private correspondence and posts including email as they search for possiblelibellous statements or pornographic material? The authority given to the Department of Justice

to block access to sites at an early stage is a gray area, which could impinge on rights to property

and right to information in addition to freedom of expression and of the press. Remember the

criticism over the blocking of access to certain sites by the Chinese government around theBeijing Olympics.

'Decriminalization of defamation'

The Office of the President has replied to the outcry against the libel provision in the new law bysaying that freedom comes with responsibility. Yes, and, indeed we all have responsibilities to

respect the rights of others and the press is obliged to observe professional ethical standards, but

the regulation of freedom, in order to impose responsibility and order, should not cross the line


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into curtailment of the freedom or creating an environment in which such rights cannot be fully

and equally enjoyed.

While the Convention does allow sovereign governments to regulate freedom of expression, such

regulation should be done in a way that does not curtail the freedom. The Committee further

elaborates in General Comment No. 34 (2011), States parties should consider thedecriminalization of defamation and, in any case, the application of the criminal law should only

be countenanced in the most serious of cases and imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty.

Among the ironies of the relatively quick passage of this legislation and the timing thereof:

1. It is not compliant with the ICCPR, which was ratified by President Corazon C. Aquino, after

decades of non-ratification by President Ferdinand Marcos;

2. It was signed by President Benigno S. Aquino III days before the country marked the 40thanniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, a period whose chief characteristics include

repression of the freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the right to politicalparticipation and dissent; and

3. The 1987 Constitution, whom the President and all the lawmakers have sworn to uphold has a

number of provisions with which this law is not consistent, including the provision that No lawshall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press... (Art. 3, Sec.

4), the guarantee of full respect for human rights,the recognition of the vital role of

communication and information in nation-building, and the inviolable right of the people to besecure in their persons, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures."

4. The Internet is a vital, affordable, empowering tool to monitoring governance, for

transparency, and for political participation by the people of the Philippines, whom the Presidentsaid in his inaugural speech are his boss.

'Actions of authoritarian regimes'

Criminal provisions that raise the fear of imprisonment for thoughts expressed on the Internethave the result of encouraging self-censorship on the very media that empowers the poor, the

marginalized, and the vulnerable. With the Internet, opinions and input into governance

including complaints can be raised to the public by any Juan at very little cost; it is no longernecessary to control or have access to print or broadcast media. Would the government that

claims to be pro-poor and spends billions of pesos on the Conditional Cash Transfer program

give with one hand but take away with the other, and take away something of such greatimportance as voice and participation?

Why is the freedom of expression so important? Because only free and full discourse allowsdeep examination of matters of social, political, and other import (as well as those of little policy

or governance import). Information, analysis, and commentary that flow freely from various

holders of opinion are the most important tools for transparency, accountability and good

governance. Note that one of the first actions of authoritarian regimes is to take control of the


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media and muzzle the information channels of those who dissent or are likely to dissent.

Freedom of expression includes political discourse, commentary on ones own and on public

affairs, canvassing, discussion of human rights, journalism, cultural and artistic expression,teaching, and religious discourse, according to the UN Committee on Human Rights.

The Cybercrime law has a laudable objectiveto prevent and punish criminal acts that make useof the Internet and the worldwide web, including fraud, pornography and others. However, all

government actors must be aware of the obligation to balance crime-fighting objectives with

human rights standards. This is principle is neither new nor impossible to implement.

The laws weaknesses as to its compliance with human rights standards and obligations which

should not have occurred if, as now practiced by many committees in the House ofRepresentatives and the Senate, the Commission on Human Rights was invited to comment on

the draft bills as a resource body.

The case of journalist Alexander Adonis

The most worrisome aspect of the bill is its wholesale adoption of the provision on libel from theRevised Penal Code, and the raising of the punishment. Libel should not be one of the acts

punished as a crime in this law which aims to bring Philippine laws into the 21st century. In fact,

the decriminalization of libel in the Philippines is long overdue.

As recently as this year, the imprisonment of journalist Alexander Adonis under this legal

provision was cited by the UN Human Rights Committee as incompatible with article 19,paragraph 3, of the [International] Covenant [on Civil and Political Rights]. In other words, the

Philippines violated the Covenant, which the Philippines ratified in 1987, specifically, by the

President Corazon C. Aquino, using her special legislative and executive powers.

The Covenant, a.k.a. the ICCPR, provides in Article 19:

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to

seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally,

in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.

3. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special

duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall onlybe such as are provided by law and are necessary:

(a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;

(b) For the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals.

This article, which was drafted in the 1960s, was drafted in such as way as to anticipate

developments in technologies and media. Note the phrase in writing or in print, in the form ofart, or through any other media of his choice.


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Moving backwards in defense of truth

The Human Rights Committee elaborated on this treaty provision with General Comment No.34, which provides that defamation laws must be crafted with care to ensure that they comply

with paragraph 3, and that they do not serve, in practice, to stifle freedom of expression. All such

laws, in particular penal defamation laws, should include such defenses as the defense of truthand they should not be applied with regard to those forms of expressions that are not, of their

nature, subject to verification.

"At least with regard to comments about public figures, consideration should be given to

avoiding penalizing or otherwise rendering unlawful untrue statements that have been published

in error but without malice. In any event, a public interest in the subject matter of the criticismshould be recognized as a defense. Care should be taken by states parties to avoid excessively

punitive measures and penalties. ... States parties should consider the decriminalization of

defamation and, in any case, the application of the criminal law should only be countenanced in

the most serious of cases and imprisonment is never an appropriate penalty.

Does the Philippines want to demonstrate that it is moving backward on human rights, rather

than forwards The country already faces continuing criticism for failure to prevent furtherextrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, and for a lack of criminal prosecutions of

such violations and torture. It would be a shame to add to the list of human rights issues for the

Philippines.

It is worth noting the other countries where there have been recent criminal cases against

journalists - Belarus, Ecuador, Burundiall for criticizing the national leaders. Just this July,the President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights was sentenced to jail for libel, for a Tweet

message criticizing the Prime Minister and the people of a region in north Bahrain.

To be fair, some effort went into some protections of civil rights in this law, including the

requirement for a court warrant to collect, seize or disclose any data other than traffic data in

real-time associated with specified communications transmitted by means of a computer system(Section 12). However, this still raises a question about the right to privacy will they be

monitoring without a warrant ANY traffic in real time, in order to identify potentially libellous,

pornographic, or otherwise prohibited input/posts on the internet, even those that are supposed tobe private such as email?

The more protective provision would have specified that such collection and recording of data is

allowable without a warrant only as to public posts on public sites, wherein the poster has noreasonable expectation of privacy. Without such protection, cyber-snooping would ensue in the

name of law enforcement or intelligence gathering analogous to improper and illegal wire

tapping and reading of correspondence.

In the area of right to security of property and correspondence, as guaranteed by the Constitution

(Art. 3, section) - Section 15 (e) of the Cybercrime law gives the law enforcers, within the timespecified in the warrant, to render inaccessible or remove those computer data in the accessed

computer or computer and communications network. Section 17 even provides forDestruction


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of Computer Data, Upon expiration of the periods as provided in Sections 13 and 15, service

providers and law enforcement authorities, as the case may be, shall immediately and completely

destroy the computer data subject of a preservation and examination."

But what are the protections for the owner of such data? What if a criminal case is filed and the

defendant wins? How will such removed data, which is the legal property of the defendant orother party, be restored?

Strong support of President

The provisions that went into the cybercrime law is something that the government has hadstrong influence on; the statements from the Office of the President even after criticism of the act

and moves by senators to amend it indicate that it has the Presidents strong support as is.

There is no shame in amending a law, even soon after its signing. Rather, it would be a strongsignal that the legislative and executive powers are willing to listen to input from various sectors

of society on a matter of great importance and impact, to review actions taken with a view tobetter compliance with all legal obligations and to further improvement of policy, and to act forthe welfare of all in many dimensions from peace and order to human rights.

AngBatas RepublikaBilang 10175, o mas kilalabilangCybercrime Prevention Act ng 2012, ayisangbatasnatumutukoy at nagpaparusasacybercrime o

mgakrimengnagaganapsapamamagitanngInternetupangpigilan at iwasanangpagdaminito.

Nilalayonngbatasnaitonaganapnamaiwasan at labananangmalingpaggamit, abuso atiligalnapaggamitnginternetsapamamagitanngpagtukoy, pag-iimbestiga atpagsuplongngkapwasalokal o pandaigdigangantas, at sapagbibigayngmaayosnausapanparasa masmabilis at maaasahangpakikipag-ugnayangpandaigdigan. Para buuin at

ipatupadangisangplanongkaligtasangcybero cyber security plan, bubuuinangCyber Investigationand Coordinating Center(CICC) sailalimngpangangasiwangTanggapanngPangulo.

Ginawaangbatasnaitongmgakinatawansakongresonasina Susan Yap (Ikalawang DistritongTarlac), Eric Owen Singson, Jr. (Ikalawang Distrito ngIlocos Sur), MarcelinoTeodoro (Unang

Distrito ngLungsod Marikina) at Juan Edgardo Angara (Nag-iisang Distrito ngAurora).

NagingkasamangtagagawanamanangmgakinatawangsinaGloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Ikalawang

Distrito ngPampanga), Diosdado Arroyo (Ikalawang Distrito ngCamarines Sur), CarmeloLazatin (Unang Distrito ng Pampanga), Rufus Rodriguez (Ikalawang Distrito

ngLungsodngCagayan de Oro), Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party-list, Abante Mindanao), Mariano

Michael Velarde at Irwin Tieng (Party-list, BUHAY), Romeo Acop (Ikalawang DistritongLungsodngAntipolo), Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Party-list, BagongHenerasyon), Anthony

Rolando Golez (Nag-iisang Distrito ngLungsodngBacolod), Juan Miguel Macapagal-Arroyo

(Party-list, AngGalingPinoy), Ma. AmelitaCalimbas-Villarosa (Nag-iisang Distrito ngOccidentalMindoro), Antonio Del Rosario (Unang Distrito ngCapiz), Winston Castelo(Ikalawang Distrito
http://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Internethttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cyber_Investigation_and_Coordinating_Center&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cyber_Investigation_and_Coordinating_Center&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cyber_Investigation_and_Coordinating_Center&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Tarlachttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ilocos_Surhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Marcelino_Teodoro&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Lungsod_Marikinahttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Juan_Edgardo_Angara&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Aurorahttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Gloria_Macapagal-Arroyohttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Pampangahttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Diosdado_Arroyo&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Camarines_Surhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Carmelo_Lazatinhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Carmelo_Lazatinhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Rufus_Rodriguez&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cagayan_de_Oro&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Maximo_Rodriguez%2C_Jr.&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Abante_Mindanao&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Mariano_Michael_Velarde&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Mariano_Michael_Velarde&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Irwin_Tieng&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=BUHAY&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Romeo_Acop&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Lungsod_ng_Antipolo&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Bagong_Henerasyon&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Bacolod&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ang_Galing_Pinoy&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Occidental_Mindorohttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Occidental_Mindorohttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Capizhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Capizhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Occidental_Mindorohttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Occidental_Mindorohttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ang_Galing_Pinoy&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Bacolod&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Bagong_Henerasyon&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Lungsod_ng_Antipolo&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Romeo_Acop&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=BUHAY&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Irwin_Tieng&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Mariano_Michael_Velarde&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Mariano_Michael_Velarde&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Abante_Mindanao&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Maximo_Rodriguez%2C_Jr.&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cagayan_de_Oro&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Rufus_Rodriguez&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Carmelo_Lazatinhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Carmelo_Lazatinhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Camarines_Surhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Diosdado_Arroyo&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Pampangahttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Gloria_Macapagal-Arroyohttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Aurorahttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Juan_Edgardo_Angara&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Lungsod_Marikinahttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Marcelino_Teodoro&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Ilocos_Surhttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Tarlachttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cyber_Investigation_and_Coordinating_Center&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cyber_Investigation_and_Coordinating_Center&action=edithttp://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Internet


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ngLungsod Quezon), Eulogio Magsaysay (Party-list, AVE), SigfridoTinga (Ikalawang Distrito

ngLungsodngTaguig), RoiloGolez (Ikalawang Distrito ngLungsodngParaaque), Romero

Federico Quimbo (Ikalawang Distrito ngLungsodng Marikina), Mel Senen Sarmiento (UnangDistrito ngKanlurangSamar), Cesar Sarmiento (Nag-iisang Distrito ngCatanduanes), Daryl Grace

Abayon (Party-list, AangatTayo), Tomas Apacible (Unang Distrito ngBatangas), Jerry Treas

(Nag-iisang Distrito ngLungsodngIloilo), Joseph Gilbert Violago (Ikalawang Distrito ngNuevaEcija), HermilandoMandanas (Ikalawang Distrito ngBatangas), Ma. Rachel Arenas (IkatlongDistrito ngPangasinan) at Ma. Victoria Sy-Alvarado (Unang Distrito ngBulacan).

Para mabasaangbuongbatasnanilagdaanngPangulongBenigno Aquino III, maaaringpindutinito.

Maaari ring basahinangorihinalnaginawangMababangKapulungan at Senado.

http://fil.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Cybercrime_Prevention_Act
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