I've logged in my girlfriend's Facebook account early this morning and all I saw were plain black, blue and red thumbnails of her friends' profile pictures coupled with the unsavory posts lurking around the internet for quite some time now -- some may be that user's opinion, some may be a concurrence of other's opinions. But what caught my irk was most of them were all about bashing the Cybercrime Law that came to existence a few weeks ago after your President, Benigno Aquino, Jr. has signed it into our books of statutes. But why?
It only showed that Filipinos -- especially the generation of today -- are up to date with the current affairs of our Country... But in a bad way.
I bet that most of these Facebook users who posted "statuses" like: "F*ck the Government! Give us our rights! Junk Cybercrime Law"; "I hate the Philippines, it is restraining my rights even up to my Facebook account, I'm gonna leave the Philippines as soon as I can", among others, didn't even bother to read the provisions of the law. Eh kung makapost kayo akala niyo naman alam niyo yung binabanatan niyo. Get your facts right first! Sure the laws in our Country (even in the other countries out there) aren't flawless... As a matter of fact they have their own loopholes... That's why Amendments exist. And most of the times, laws have to adapt to the current state of its country.
***Ano ba naman yang mga Senador na yan?! Pati pagpopost ko ng status sa Facebook tsaka sa Twitter pinakikialaman!***
Whoever said that to you is the stupidest, most ignorant person you've met! Kalokohan yan! Why would the law prohibit such actions? What the law prohibits is the posting of libelous, defaming and derogatory remarks. Sige lang magpost ka ng magpost kahit gawin mong Twitter ang Facebook, for as long as you don't step on the personality and rights of an individual. Bawal naman talagang manira ng kapwa di ba? Try mong siraan kitang Hudas na trying hard ka! Tignan ko kung anong maramdaman mong bansot na hinayupak ka! See? Of course the law, Our Constitution, gives us the right of free speech. But it is not to be abused. Otherwise, it will always be free speech for the dumb. Our freedom is not unlimited nor perpetual. It ceases to exist when others' rights are being impaired.
***Yang Cybercrime Law na yan ginawa para protektahan ang Gobyerno laban sa mga detractors nila!***
The Law has its purposes -- at all times! Talamak na ang cybercrimes ngayon: Cyber Sex, Cyber Trafficking, Cyber Voyeurism, at kung anu-ano pang mga cyber chorva! Syempre, Our legislature has to take actions. Kaya niyo nga sila binoto eh. That's the intent of the framers, folks. Hindi naman porket may hinanaing ka sa Gobyerno eh libel na agad yun dahil sa pagpopost mo nun sa Facebook o Twitter o Tumblr mo. depende naman yun kung gaano kalala yung comment mo.
***Nagpost lang ako ng damdamin ko sa Facebook ko, kulong na agad ako?! Sh*t sila!***
Tarantado! Kaya nga may due process tayo! And the Rules on Evidence provides that in all Criminal Cases, PROOF BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT is required bago ka maging guilty sa allegations laban sa yo. And how do you achieve that quantum of proof? Undergo trial. The internet itself is a big doubt, so why worry? Kaya ka sinampahan ng kaso kasi inapakan mo yung karapatan ng kapwa mo. Remember: Every action has its consequences.
***The Pro-Sotto brouhaha***
False. In the law, Intellectual property is protected. Eh ano ba yung ina-allege laban sa kanya? Di ba plagiarism? Violation of Intellectual Property. Boom! Yan ba ang proteksiyon?
***Pano na ko gagawa ng term paper ko kung bawal na magdownload ng academic materials, files and other stuff?!***
Saang provision ng batas yan? Nasaan?! Pakita mo sakin! Ako pa mismo magpepetition sa Supreme Court! That's the problem in the modern-world students... Lahat inasa niyo na kay Mr. Google. Daig niya nga naman na kasi si Atlas at si Britannica, pati si Encarta. Kasi kay Google, copy+paste na lang, solve na ang problema mo. Isang gabi na lang ang term paper na dati rati ay buwan kung paghirapan namin. Try nating kopyahin ko yung paper mong pinaghirapan at pinagpuyatan mo in toto, tas sasabihin ko ako yung gumawa nun tas I'll get all the credits -- malay mo manalo pa ko ng Nobel Prize award dahil sa kagalingan mo... Would you not be offended?
The law may have stepped on the thin line of Constitutionality, but let the Court decide, they know what they're doing. If the submitted petitions are with merits, then restrain the law. Otherwise, let the law function to its aim. I would not comment any further because I haven't personally read the petitions submitted to the Supreme Court and because that's the right thing to do.
We are all privileged with the freedom of speech. But we are also bound to act within the scope of law and morality. Criminal Law basics (thank you, Justice Reyes for penning the Criminal Law Books and Atty. Amurao for the wisdom), Punishment is the suffering imposed upon by the State for the transgression of the law -- meaning, pag nagkasala ka, tas yung pagkakasala mo laban sa batas, marapat lang na maparusahan ka. Di ba? So kung yung Facebook account mo eh ginawa mo nang open-diary na pwedeng mabasa ng lahat ng friends mo at available sa kung sinumang gustong tumingin ng wall mo, siguraduhin mong wala kang sinisirang pagkatao o inaapakang karapatan. Simple lang naman yang Cybercrime Law na yan. Yung isang provision diyan, Libel pa din... Expanded nga lang -- to adapt to our modern-day lifestyles.
Now to all of you attention-whores who want to prove that you're better than the Lawmakers, I respect you. That's your opinion and I hope you'll likewise respect mine. I didn't made this post to question nor destroy your credibility -- this blog post is purported to be an enlightenment to those script-kiddies na gusto lang maki-ride... Dahil uso ngayon ang "Junk Cybercrime Law" movement, makikiuso na din at magpopost ng kung anu-ano laban sa gobyerno o sa mga senador or even against the Philippine Politics. Makikiuso ka, magpopost ka ng ganito, ganyan, pero tatanungin kita. Nabasa mo na ba yung batas na sinasabi mong kalokohan ng gobyerno? Ikaw ang isang malaking kalokohan! May papopost-post ka pa ng profile pic na plain color. You really think it would make you look any smarter or better? No. It only makes you look ignorant. Hindi dahil trending, tama.
I am also not saying that I am against nor am I in favor of the passage of the Cybercrime Law. It has its good sides and bad sides. And only the right people can make it better. I am just expressing my disgust over the persons that let themselves be fooled of a media overkill. How pathetic. No offense meant, though.
Happy reading, guys! Thanks for the time!
~BinmaR™
