COMPUTER COMMUNICATION

DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Sorsogon Campus

Last 19th of July, we had our seminar about “Cybersecurity Caravan” held at Bicol
University College of Engineering gymnasium. Various students and teachers joined the
seminar came from different schools and universities. The seminar started at 9:00 in the
morning and ended at 1:00 in the afternoon. They specifically discussed about the
Republic Act 10175 Cybercrime Prevention of 2012.

The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, signed by President Benigno Aquino III
on September 12, aims to fight online pornography, hacking, identity theft and
spamming following local law enforcement agencies complaints over the lack of legal
tools to combat cybercrime. However, the law came with tougher legal penalties for
Internet defamation, compared to traditional media. It also allows authorities to collect
data from personal user accounts on social media and listen in on voice application
without a warrant. Users who post defamatory comments on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
could be sentenced up to 12 years in jail. The Cybercrime law also aim to raises the
penal sentence for libel committed in cyberspace one year longer than that imposed in
the revise penal code for libel in general. It include internationally consistent definitions
for certain cybercrimes, increased penalties, greater authority granted to law
enforcement authorities, and provisions for international cybercrime coordination efforts
and greater ability to combat cybercrimes.

We all have responsibilities to respect the rights of others and the press is
obliged to observe professional ethical standards, but the regulation of freedom, in order
to impose responsibility, should not cross the line into limitation of the freedom or
creating an environment in which such rights cannot fully and equally enjoyed. I believe
that the objective of this bill is to teach everyone to be responsible user of the internet.
People who are the victims of insult and other defamatory act done on the internet have
no way to go when their reputation is being attacked. Due to this law, they can now be
protected.

On the otherhand, the law has its own flaws. The public are feeling
uncomfortable that there is someone monitoring their activity on the internet. And the
idea that someone is watching over you is unimaginable. It restrict the way you speak
by simply being you. It is worse than having people actually look at the real you than
you don’t know who would be looking and when they would be looking. Therefore, “no
law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or
the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress
of grieveances”. I belive that a person is entitled to his or her opinion and the whole
Philippines should not carry the burden of being silenced just because other people
could not accept this fact.
Rizal St., Sorsogon City Tel. No. 421-55-75 www.ccdi-sorsogon.net
"Where quality I.T.
happens"
 COMPUTER COMMUNICATION
DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
Sorsogon Campus

Republic Act 10175

Cybercrime Prevention
of 2012
(Reaction Paper)

Prepared By:
Angelica D. Hermosa
BSIT 4A

Rizal St., Sorsogon City Tel. No. 421-55-75 www.ccdi-sorsogon.net

"Where quality I.T.
happens"