Libel Clause in RA 10175

According to Senator Tito Sotto, the insertion of the libel clause in the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or RA 10175 was meant to protect netizens from being victimized by malicious postings as what happened with Katrina Halili and Maricar Reyes.  In this case, then I'm in agreement with the good senator.  However, like vintage Sotto style, the insertion was nothing more than a "copy and paste" of what is already under Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which defined libel "as a public and malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status or circumstance tending to discredit or cause the dishonor or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead."  The only thing new hear was the hefty penalty imposed as part of the insertion.

It is truly disturbing to note the level of mediocrity on the part of our law makers to properly define the laws that they pass.  Manong namang magisip-isip naman sana!  No wonder there are a lot of loopholes that unscrupulous individuals tend to abuse.

A Call to Criminalize Plagiarism

In the world of the academe PLAGIARISM is a form of theft.  Our teachers taught us not succumb to plagiarism and exercise our own creative minds to come out with ideas to contribute and further enrich the journalistic community.  If there is a need to lift the ideas of other people it is common courtesy to acknowledge such ideas as theirs.  Owning up to the ideas of others is what constitutes plagiarism.  At least that was what I was taught.

The good Senator Vicente Sotto decriminalized plagiarism by repeatedly condoning his writers to lift written works of other people for his own good.  But what is blatantly despicable about it was that instead of apologizing he even pointed to the fact that plagiarism is not a criminal offense in the Philippines.  Point taken Mr. Senator sir!  We now know the basis of your moral compass---pag walang KULONG---OK LANG!

With this in mind I pose a challenge to the other law makers of this land to draft a law to criminalize plagiarism.  It is after all a form of INTELLECTUAL STEALING very much like the issue of piracy.  Heck!  Let us INSERT this as part of Republic Act 10175!  Isn't it that the victim of the first (that we know of) plagiarism issue against the good senator is a blogger? 

Is there is truth to the rumor that the insertion of the libel clause in the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was a form of payback from our dear senator for the "cyber-bullying" he got?  In his interview this morning with Unang Hirit's Arnold Clavio, Mr. Sotto vehemently denied this and said that the libel clause was already there even before he was cyber-bullied.  Personally, I'm no longer inclined to believe whatever our good senator says.

Thank You for the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012

I have always believed that everything happens for a reason.  I also believe that that it is better to focus on the positive than to be continuously badgered by the negative.  Hence, I would like to say THANK YOU to the senators who voted to put into law the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or Republic Act 10175.  Your action told us what future we have with you on the seat of power.  Now we have a better view of what our ballots will be in the next election!