Administration Sen. Ronald dela Rosa paved the way Wednesday for a Senate inquiry in aid of crafting remedial legislation ensuing, he said, from the recent “censorship action” of Facebook when it took down profiles and advocacy pages supporting the Philippine government and its efforts against terrorism.
Dela Rosa filed on Friday Senate Resolution 531 directing the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, “on the censorship action taken by Facebook with the end in view of ensuring the protection and non-curtailment of the constitutional right of freedom of speech and of expression in the country.”
Resolution 531 was referred to the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, which is expected to set the initial hearing next week.
The resolution cited “57 accounts, 31 pages and 20 Instagram profiles that were taken down, which included content supportive of President Duterte; criticism of Rappler online news web site; issues relevant to overseas Filipino workers; military activities against terrorism; anti-terrorism law; criticism of communism, youth activist and opposition; posts against the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.”
Dela Rosa’s resolution specified the removal of “Hands Off Our Children,” an advocacy page being run by a group of parents who claims to be fighting to protect their children against violent extremism.
The senator also noted that according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the advocacy page “provides awareness on the vulnerability of children in the hands of communist terrorist organizations such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army [CPP-NPA],” that dela Rosa described as “a listed terrorist organization not only in the Philippines but also in the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
“The censorship campaign against child recruitment of the communist terrorist group could hamper the efforts to prevent the spread of violent extremism in the country,” dela Rosa added.
He recalled that President Duterte, during a televised speech last Monday, September 28, cautioned Facebook on the said censorship move, stating that the social-media giant is being allowed by the government to operate in the country “with the hope that it will help push for the government’s advocacies.”
Instead, the lawmaker lamented that pro-government group’s pages have been taken down, while pages which criticize the administration are allowed to stay on the social-media platform.
Dela Rosa acknowledged that the Philippines is Facebook’s second-largest market in Asia, with 76 million users as of July 2020, and projected to reach 88 million by 2025.
He asserted this was why “there is an urgent need for the Senate to investigate the censorship done by Facebook considering that it affects not only the peace and order and security of our country but likewise greatly affects every Filipino’s freedom of expression as guaranteed by no less than the Philippine Constitution.”
Image credits: AP/Jeff Chiu