In a victory for netizens all over the Philippines, our Supreme Court has just issued a temporary restraining order against the extremely controversial, extremely limiting RA10175, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Law. There have been numerous petitions against the law, with Sen. Tiofisto Guingona III, the only Senator who did not sign the bill, as one of the heavy-hitters. While the heart of the law might be in the right place, many people have criticized the vagueness of it, and are wary of the effects of such loosely-worded laws. On top of this is the hotly-discussed libel clause which could potentially get one thrown in prison for something as simple as not watching the comments on your personal sites.
This is hot on the heels of Sen. Sotto’s filing for, and then withdrawing a bill to remove the Libel clause found in the law, which, according to the Senator, he felt was in line with the President’s wishes. The fight isn’t over, though. As long as there are such people hoping to get away with putting a muzzle on the mouths of the people, we have to remain vigilant and never forget.