Solons welcome SC TRO on cyber law

MANILA, Philippines—Lawmakers on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to issue a temporary restraining order on the contentious Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino, who filed House Bill 6613 with Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Teddy Casiño seeking to have Republic Act No. 10175 repealed, saw the high court’s ruling as an “opportunity for the Palace to retract its hardline position on the issue.”

Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III said that the TRO on the new law would provide “more time for justices to study the contentious provision on cyber libel.”

This was echoed by one of the bill’s authors at the House of Representatives, Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, who said that the TRO would give the high tribunal ample time to consider the petitioners’ arguments.

Bayan Muna Partylist Representative Neri Colmenares said that this was a “very welcome development” and pointed out that credit should go to netizens who pushed for petitions against RA 10175. He was however wary of the conditions of the TRO, asking whether it was “for the entire law or just the portions of the law?”

Several government websites were defaced following the enactment of the anti-cybercrime law due to questionable provisions on libel and the justice department’s power to take down websites.