Miriam files cyber bill ver 2.0

MANILA, Philippines - Unhappy with the anti-cybercrime law? Check out Version 2.0.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed a bill that seeks to address deficiencies in the Cybercrime Prevention Act or Republic Act 10175.

Santiago said the new version, Senate Bill 3327, would protect the rights and freedoms of netizens while defining and penalizing cybercrimes.

While acknowledging the legitimate concerns raised against RA 10175, Santiago said there is a definite need for a law that would address issues surrounding the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

Citing a 2012 report by the Department of Science and Technology, the business process outsourcing industry, the information technology outsourcing industry and other outsourcing industries, also known as knowledge worker industries strongly dependent on fast and reliable ICT and Internet networks, have contributed $11 billion in export revenues, or an estimated 5.4 percent contribution to the country’s gross domestic product in 2011.

Under Senate Bill 3327 or the Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom (MCPIF), the mandate and organization of the proposed Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) would be clearly defined.

The MCPIF prepares the proposed DICT, law enforcement agencies, and the military with provisions for handling cybercrimes.

The bill also provides amendments to the Armed Forces Modernization Act to ensure the country has weapons and defenses against cyber attacks by terrorists, violent non-state actors and rogue or enemy nation-states.

It also mandates the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to combat cyber terrorism.

“We need to recognize that child pornography, child abuse, and human trafficking can be committed through the Internet, as much as hacking, piracy, and copyright infringement. We must define these evils in order for us to crush them,” Santiago said.

Santiago said that she supports the objectives of the existing Anti-Cybercrime Law, particularly on protecting the rights and freedoms of Filipinos in cyberspace.

In her proposed bill, Santiago said that she would address the issues raised against the current law, particularly on the protection of the rights of individuals.

“While it is important to crack down on criminal activities on the Internet, protecting constitutional rights like free expression, privacy, and due process should hold a higher place in crafting laws,” she said.

“The MCPIF does not suffer from overbreadth and vagueness in its provisions on libel, unlike the law it tries to replace. In fact, it treats libel as a civil liability rather than a criminal act, which is a step forward in the move to decriminalize libel,” she added.