As oral arguments on the controversial Cybercrime Law or Republic Act 10176 began yesterday, youth and multisectoral groups from Iloilo called for its appeal, especially the provision that is seen to infringe on civil liberties and freedom of speech.

Hundreds of protesters from the Kabataan Party-list and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) trooped to the busy streets of City Proper district and converged at Plazoleta Gay yesterday afternoon.

Kabataan Spokesperson Charmaine Chin said the law does not target real crimes like hacking and identity theft but rather, people’s rights, “including part of our democratic space by giving the Department of Justice and the administration too much power.”

“The protest action today is not the end, but rather the beginning of a long battle against Aquino’s E-Martial Law. On February 6, the TRO will be lifted, and if the SC does not expedite the repeal of RA 10175, the people will still not back down,” Chin added.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raymond Palatino meanwhile filed House Bill 6613, which aims to repeal several contentious provision of RA 10175. The said bill is still at the committee level.

Session in both houses of Congress is set to resume on January 21, and will continue only until February 8 to give way to the campaign period. 

Meanwhile, Sen. Edgardo Angara, principal author of the law, stressed the country’s need for a cybercrime prevention law.

He filed a bill amending the law's questionable provisions like the so-called “take down” clause on the power of the Justice Department to take down websites it deems unlawful.

The penalty for online libel will be made equal to that of libel committed on traditional media, and penalties for cybercrimes will no longer be one degree higher than other crimes in the Revised Penal Code.* with reports from abs-cbnews.com