The Martial Law of the Digital Era

By Justine Lloyd Bautista

                Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Republic Act No. 10175 ,formally known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and was signed last September 12, this law grants the Philippine Government the power to place under surveillance and shutdown Internet properties, will it be your mail account, Facebook profile or anything uploaded in the cyber world, even without the consent of the owner.  According to the cybercrime law, the government has every right to impose criminal punishments for libel and violations made online. Aside from that, the new law authorizes both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to terminate private websites that dishonors the law and the right to collect computer data without the need to provide warrant or court order.

                Advocates of the said law clarify the net community of the beneficial claims of its legalization. Cybersex, the exploitation of pornography via Internet, will be completely terminated as web streaming can be viewed by the government itself. Cyber bullying, which is the act of flaming of flaming or defaming someone on social networking sites will also be prevented. Politicians and showbiz stars like Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto, Senator Pia Cayetano, and Asia’s Song Bird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid declared their sides in favor of the law. “Puwede ka nang magdemanda, eh, at nahahanap sila. It’s good to have parameters; it’s good to have rules and regulations.”

                But behind these “benefits” of the amendment of the law, what are the real consequences of the Anti-Cybercrime Law?

                Four decades ago, former President Ferdinand Marcos declared the infamous Martial Law. Proclaimed on September 23, 1972, this law restricted the Filipino citizens of their practiced freedom. The military law shut down the media.  Televisions and radios were only permitted to advocate the goodness of the government, cracking down the opposition.  It constricted the minds and the hands of the Filipinos but not their burning desire to for liberty. Forward to the present circumstances, is the Anti-Cybercrime Law the Modern Martial Law of the Digital Era?

                Remember the figures in the five hundred peso bill? Husband and wife Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino. Will their sacrifices be forgotten? This law strongly deprives the nation of their liberty. Where is the Freedom of Expression now? But the most controversial was the signature and consent of the very own child of Mr. and Mrs. Aquino, President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino himself. Yes, the son of which lives were sacrificed for freedom allowed those mindless senators’ sensitive egos to take over them and sealed the thoughts and opinions of the Filipinos and arrest those who dare to oppose.    

 

                In reality, the members of the online community are none too pleased with it. Imagine twelve long years of imprisonment and a fine of not less than one million pesos would be charged to a single post of defamatory on Facebook, Twitter or any social networking site. Aren’t they thinking?

                I have read a post on Facebook about the Cybercrime law: There were three inmates talking with each other. The first man asked two of his fellow inmates, “What crime did you committed and how long will you stay in jail?” The second man answered, “I raped three gorgeous models in three consecutive days – three years in prison”. The other man said, “I robbed five banks and brought home a total of 100 million pesos in cold cash; that is nine years in prison.” The man began to cry. His comrades asked him why he is crying. The first man said, “I have rather raped those three gorgeous models and become a multi-millionaire myself, then I would be in jail in twelve years if only I didn’t INSULTED PRESIDENT NOYNOY ON FACEBOOK.

                Obviously thinking, the logic would be:  for an instance, the percentage of population actively participating on the Internet is fifty million net-users that population would post a flame and a common prison cell can hold a maximum of 10 detainees, therefore 2.5 million new prison cells are needed to hold the 25 million inmates just because of a single post.

The government promotes “Think before you click”, but to those congressmen, senators and most of all, the president, who approved this unreasonable law – THINK BEFORE YOU SIGN.