Malicious disinformation should not go unpunished as it violates the rights of others, Senator Robinhood Padilla stressed.
Padilla, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, said the constitutional right to freedom of expression should never be abused.
“’Pag nilagyan na natin ng malisya na gusto mo siraan ang tao, yan ay mali na. ‘Yan ho ang pagtapak na sa karapatan ng kapwa mo. At dapat lang yan may karampatang penalty,” the legislator said at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
“Gawin man nating civil man ‘yan o ano man ‘yan, kailangan po talaga meron yang parusa,” the lawmaker added.
“There is nothing wrong with creating content on news or social media platforms – but it is a different matter if the freedom of expression is abused and weaponized against others.”
According to the senator, there is nothing wrong with creating content on news or social media platforms – but it is a different matter if the freedom of expression is abused and weaponized against others.
Thus, he said there is a need for a law to ensure punishment for those who abuse the constitutional right to “freedom of expression.”
“Hindi pupwedeng kapag sinabi nating kalayaan pwede mo nang tapak-tapakan ang kapwa mo, gumawa ka ng imbento.”
“Hindi pupwedeng kapag sinabi nating kalayaan pwede mo nang tapak-tapakan ang kapwa mo, gumawa ka ng imbento, hindi naman siguro ganoon,” Padilla said.
“Kailangan talaga pag sinabing kalayaan e pantay-pantay tayo diyan. Di pwede ‘yan na wala tayong susundin na batas kaya tayo may batas, kaya tayo may kalayaan gumawa ng batas para sundin natin. Di pwedeng free-for-all ito para tayong nagsusuntukan lang sa bar ‘di pupuwede. Kailangan sumunod sa batas,” he concluded.
