Online libel law 'constitutional'
The Philippine Supreme Court ruled that a controversial cybercrime law penalising online libel is constitutional, amid claims it is intended to curb Internet freedom in one of Asia's most freewheeling democracies.
The court said a section of the Cybercrime Protection Law “which penalises online or cyber libel is not unconstitutional”, spokesman Theodore Te said.
However, the ruling would only cover the original sender of the allegedly libellous material and not the recipients, Te said.
Neri Colmenares, a congressman who was among those who challenged the law, said they may appeal the ruling.
“The government should not be the prosecutor of stained reputations,” Colmenares said, branding it a “draconian law”. “No one should go to prison just for expressing oneself, specially on the Internet, where people express their frustration with the government,” he said.
The Supreme Court yesterday however “partially granted the relief” sought by the law’s opponents when it ruled as unlawful a provision giving the Justice Department powers to “take down” websites or record Internet traffic data in real time. But Terry Ridon, a congressman, said youth were unhappy with the ruling and vowed to challenge it.
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