THERE is no more legal obstacle to the implementation of the controversial Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
In an email to reporters, Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson Theodore Te said the justices denied on Tuesday the motions for reconsideration to the February 18 decision upholding most of the law's provisions.
Reacting to the Court’s action, Petitioner Bloggers and Netizens for Democracy (Band) predicted that they might go back to the SC "once this draconian law gets implemented."
"Maybe then, the magistrates would get a better understanding of the ramifications of the court’s decision," the bloggers said in a statement.
Several government agencies headed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) are currently crafting the law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) as Band will take this opportunity to convince Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to set aside the “contentious and dangerous provisions.”
The group also said it will not hesitate to go to the United Nations to question RA 10175, for violations of the Philippines’ treaty obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"We hope that we bloggers and netizens would not resort to self-censorship out of fear -- that is what they want us to do and feel. Let us make our blogs, websites, social media accounts and communities zones of Internet freedom. Let us fight tooth and nail for our Internet freedoms," Band said.
Among others, the petitioners opposed Section 4(c)4 on online libel; Section 5 on aiding and abetting in the commission of cybercrime, and attempt in the commission of cybercrime; Section 6 on the application of heavier penalties; and Section 7 on liability under other laws.
Kabataan party-list, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares and journalists Alexander Adonis, Ellen Tordesillas and Lala Ordones also appealed the ruling. (Sunnex)