Comments on: Thin-skinned, plagiarizing Philippines Senator criminalizes "libel" with last minute stealth-attack on cybercrime bill

By: Ito Kagehisa

Ito Kagehisa — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 18:06:00 +0000

Did you read the legal definition of libel that the Philippine Senate had read out to them before the passage of the bill? It’s in one of the linked articles. It says “real or imagined” accusations of crime, vices or defects are equally actionable, it just requires malice to be libel.

I am used to your definition of libel, which requires knowingly misrepresenting the truth, but apparently that’s not the legal definition in the Philippine Islands.

By: Karen de Castro

Karen de Castro — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:11:00 +0000

RH Bill – a decade and counting, and still under debate
Cybercrime Law – approved in 8 freaking days.

Please, tell me, what is wrong with this picture?

By: Martin McCallion

Martin McCallion — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:37:00 +0000

Truth is an absolute defence to libel in the UK. However, I believe you can sometimes be found guilty of Defamation, even if what you say is true. IANAL.

By: Dino Manrique

Dino Manrique — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:39:00 +0000

Actually, there are other problematic and unconstitutional provisions in the Cybercrime Law. Repeal!!! Read this 2 other articles: http://blogpress.ph/2012/09/a-dangerously-flawed-cybercime-law/

http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/cybercrime-law-hikes-penalties-for-netizens-kills-internet-freedom/

By: GoatLordMessiah

GoatLordMessiah — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 09:05:00 +0000

Which would mean he’s from the Phillip islands. Same difference I guess.

By: Primus Inter Igorots

Primus Inter Igorots — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 05:48:00 +0000

He’s a senator who hasn’t got over his roots as a comedian.. Still waiting for the punchline.. We now have a new word “sinotto” (loosely: did a sotto, i.e. copy and paste, plagiarize and justify with silly reasons.) thanks to him.. I’m tempted to call him an @@@@@@@ but he might make me a victim of his internet libel stup@@@@@..

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 03:33:00 +0000

What, you mean exactly like in the UK??

By: Jeiel Aranal

Jeiel Aranal — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:46:00 +0000

The context of Sotto’s plagiarisms is in the Reproductive Health bill debates here in the Philippines. He has been denying Filipinos accessible reproductive health care and information on the back of plagiarized words, and on research that he takes out of context. At least two of his foreign sources have come out and spoken against his misuse of their work. He also keeps railing on and on about how the reproductive health bill is a work of foreign influence while he cites foreign works to try to debunk the RH bill. Go figure.

By: Axzar

Axzar — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:07:00 +0000

Traffic rules cannot even be enforced here. Nothing has changed.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:04:00 +0000

I missed that.

By: Lester Nelson

Lester Nelson — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:12:00 +0000

But originally it said “Philippino.”

By: ldobe

ldobe — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:56:00 +0000

The truth is an absolute defense to any claim of libel. This isn’t a real libel law. It’s simply an implementation of censorship and criminalized speech

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:01:00 +0000

The title says “Phillippines” because that’s where he’s a Senator. If it said “Filipino Senator”, it would sound like he was a US Senator and Cory was making an inexplicable reference to his ethnicity.

By: Ito Kagehisa

Ito Kagehisa — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:37:00 +0000

I am fascinated to discover that in the Philippines, you can apparently be guilty of libel even if what you are saying is factually true.

By: Lester Nelson

Lester Nelson — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:03:00 +0000

1. It’s “Filipino.”
2. He’s done a lot more plagiarizing than that, stealing from an healthy lifestyles blog wholesale on his speech about the health dangers of birth control pills.
3. He claimed the birth control pill “Diane” was responsible for the death of his son in 1975 despite the fact that Diane wasn’t put on the market until 1978 and wasn’t introduced to the Asian market until 1988.

By: Caterina Fake

Caterina Fake — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Corruption in the Philippines is rampant, and this is very bad. The libel law seems to be a handy figleaf for all kinds of censorship.

However, I got a little stuck on the title. Filipino is spelled “Filipino”. If you want to be super PC, it’s “Pilipino”. I am of Filipina heritage myself. Cheers!

By: ldobe

ldobe — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:00:00 +0000

What a cowardly and harmful thing for him to do. Better not let him out in public, he might spontaneously combust if someone gives him a funny look