De Guzman-Bello tandem wants to repeal cyber libel law
MANILA, Philippines — The tandem of labor leader Leody de Guzman and academic and political analyst Walden Bello wants to repeal the law pertaining to cyber libel.
According to Bello on Sunday, the cyber libel law is being used to suppress press freedom.
“We will repeal ‘yung (the) cyber libel law kasi talagang ito’y isang hadlang sa (because this is one of the hurdles of) press freedom,” the vice presidential bet said in an online consultation.
“The cyber libel law is actually meant to suppress opposition,” he added.
Aside from putting an end to the cyber libel law, the standard bearers of Partido Lakas ng Masa vowed to bring back the franchise of media giant ABS-CBN and dismiss the charges against digital media Rappler.
“Unang-una, ‘yung franchise ng ABS-CBN, we will make sure that it goes back to ABS-CBN. Pero hindi naman namin sinasabi na babalik to the same kind of management. Siguro mas maganda kung ABS-CBN has some internal reforms so that ‘yung mga manggagawa doon can have a much bigger say in managing it,” said Bello.
(First, the franchise of ABS-CBN, we will make sure that it goes back to ABS-CBN. But, we’re not saying back to the same kind of management. Maybe it would be better if ABS-CBN would have some internal reforms so that workers can have a much bigger say in managing it.)
“Pangalawa, we will move to dismiss ‘yung charges against Rappler kasi talaga naman politically motivated lahat ‘yan and si President [Rodrigo] Duterte is the one who is inuudyok ‘yan a certain people to file cyber libel charge doon,” he continued.
(Second, we will move to dismiss the charges against Rappler because all of that is politically motivated and President Duterte is the one who is pushing certain people to file cyber libel charges.)
On May 5, 2020, ABS-CBN went off air after the National Telecommunications Commission ordered the broadcasting giant to stop operations after its franchise, which was set to expire on May 4, was not renewed.
Meanwhile, Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa and a former writer for the company were found guilty of cyber libel due to a 2012 article.
READ: Rappler: Conviction of Ressa, Santos ‘sets dangerous precedent for everyone online’
