Angara to amend Cybercrime Law

From: InterAksyon.com (TV5)

Cybercrime Law author Sen. Edgardo Angara said he will file an amendatory bill on the law’s most contentious provisions, especially the takedown of web sites, when Congress resumes session on Oct. 8.

Angara said he will focus  on the powers of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to restrict and block access to netizens on the basis simply of a prima facie finding  that crimes were committed under the new law.

He said he will include the principle of search and seizure order under the Constitution on the amendatory bill.

Angara said under Section 19  of the Cybercrime Law, the DOJ can only restrict and block access to a particular website where the alleged crime happened “only …. with a court order, “ a requirement not found in the provision.

Angara asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to withhold the implementation of Section 19 until the Supreme Court has resolved nine petitions filed against the law, and until Congress has passed the amendatory bill.

“I don’t want to give the impression that I’m now shifting the blame to anyone. No. I will own sole responsibility for it because I was the one who put it all together,” Angara said, describing himself as the “consolidator” of the ideas of several sponsors like Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Angara also justified the inclusion of a provision on online libel/ He said since libel is still in the statute books, i.e., the Revised Penal Code, there was no reason to exempt one medium from it. 

“Why not? You mean the cyberspace is a zone of impunity [where] you can now begin to 

lambast maliciously without fear of any sanction at all? I don’t think that will promote our civilization and the use of the Internet. That’s never been the intent.” ###