'Icon of democracy' to file petition vs online libel - lawyer

MANILA, Philippines - Lawyer Harry Roque revealed on Wednesday that a "very big personality" will soon join petitioners against the Cybercrime Prevention Act in asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling on online libel.

Roque, who represents petitioner and journalist Alexander Adonis, said all petitioners would file a motion for reconsideration after the Supreme Court declared the law's online libel provision constitutional.

As they appeal for the high court's decision, Roque hinted that a huge personality will also file a petition against Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

"You will really be surprised to find out who," Roque said in an interview on ANC's Headstart. "If and when he files the petition will already send the message that if it can happen to someone of [his] stature, can you imagine what will happen to a lowly journalist."

Roque said the new petitioner is not a journalist but he has been a victim of libel.

"Because of his experience, he will now be a staunch ally in the crusade against libel as an infringement of freedom of expression," Roque said.

Though Roque refused to give more details on the identity, he said the new petitioner will come out "very, very soon."

"He's a very big personality in the Philippines," Roque said. "He's an icon of democracy."

In the ANC interview, Roque insisted that similar to the country's libel laws, the online libel provision of the Cybercrime Act is "draconian" and it represses freedom of expression, as stated by the United Nations Committee on Human Rights.

"The Supreme Court, in my mind, abrogated its powers to protect fundamental rights by affirming the legality of libel," Roque said.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declared constitutional the Cybercrime Act's provision that penalizes acts of libel as defined in Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) committed through a computer system.

Read: ‘Internet libel in cyber crime law constitutional’

The high court declared that imposition of online libel on the "original author of the post" is legal, but the same is unconstitutional insofar as it penalizes those who simply receive the post and react to it.

This means only the source of a malicious e-mail or social media post can be held liable under the law.

Roque warned that politicians may take advantage of cyber libel to threaten and harass netizens who criticize them in the internet.

"It sends the message. I-demanda mo ang isa, you chill out others from criticizing," the lawyer said.

He added that if government officials do no want criticisms, then they should just quit politics.