Palace won’t block anti-Islam video

MANILA— Malacañang will not take steps to block the viewing of the 14-minute anti-Islamic YouTube trailer that has stirred up widespread protests in the Muslim world.

Neither will it demand YouTube to block online access to the anti-Islamic video in the Philippines.

“There are neither precedent nor existing conditions that may prompt us to consider moving in that direction,” said Secretary Herminio Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, in a text message.

“We will remain alert and vigilant to ensure that similar threats to our security and peace are neutralized effectively,” Coloma added.

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said as much in a separate text message:  “I trust that viewing it will not fill you with hatred for America.”

A third Palace official pointed to the freedom of speech enshrined in the 1987 Constitution that has been keeping the free flow of ideas, however repugnant this may seem to some sectors, unhampered.

“From what I understand, it’s a movie. There is a trailer also that is up online. But in the entire two years and a few months that the President has been office, the administration has never asked to take down anything,” said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte in a radio interview yesterday.

She confirmed that the government, through the National Capital Region Police Office, had already upgraded security around the US embassy in Manila.  However, there are no specific threats against Americans and other foreign envoys at this point, according to Valte. INQUIRER