The Four-eyed Journal » KABATAAN

Press Release: The Dangers of the CyberCrime Act

jhay — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:36:18 +0000

It really amazes me how some of our legislators come up with ideas for new laws especially when the bills they propose are riddled with ambiguities, sometimes devoid of reason and out of touch with reality. Another such proposed bill is HOUSE BILL NO. 6794 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2009.

Fortunately, some of our lawmakers take time to really study proposed legislation and weigh it against the objective interests of the public including our civil and political rights. Let me share a press release from KABATAAN party-list about their stand on the proposed CyberCrime Act.

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Bill will not resolve hacking of gov’t websites

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino today called on the House of Representatives to re-evaluate and stop the passing of the HB 6974 CyberCrime Prevention Act of 2009 which is up for third reading when session resumes.

Palatino said that his opposition to the proposed bill is for similar reasons that he is against the Right of Reply Bill. “The bill may be used to stifle freedom of expression, speech and the press and may violate the people’s right to privacy. The definition of ‘cybercrime’ in the bill is vague and its scope overly-broad that it may criminalize ordinary electronic activities of any Tom, Dick or Harry who uses the Internet, a mobile phone or any electronic device,” he said.

He cited, for instance, Section 4 of the bill prohibiting the “recording, distribution and exhibition of recorded ‘private acts’ and ‘other obscene and indecent acts’ are NOT limited to sexual acts alone and thus not sufficiently defined. “How will this affect the right of citizens to freedom of speech and expression especially with regard to issues of public concern? Will the scrupulous acts of public officials be considered “private acts”? How will this affect media exposes and investigative reportage on corrupt practices in the government?”

On the threat to right to privacy, Palatino pointed to Section 9 of the bill which empowers the government to monitor activities and access private accounts of persons suspected of committing “cybercrimes,” even activities and files that are not related to said punishable acts.

“For example, for the government to pin-point an activity which is criminal in nature according to the Act, it has to monitor all other activities of an individual at a given time, and worse may expose the activities of other individuals using the same computer system or server at the same time. For the government to access a malicious file in an individual’s hard drive, it has to confiscate and search through the entire storage device, thus exposing all other personal files and correspondence to government access and intrusion, even those unrelated to the ‘cybercrime’. This is dangerous because it gives the government an excuse to justify illegal fishing expeditions against ordinary citizens and allows the wanton violation of the strict requirements in criminal procedure.”

Palatino said that he will ask the House leadership to return the bill to second reading to thresh out all vague and controversial provisions. “We should also consult netizens, the online media and other stakeholders before we pass any bill that directly affects them.”

The young solon also said that HB 6974 will not resolve the problem of government websites being hacked. “What the government should do is to strengthen its IT network, improve the IT infrastructure and foster the development of IT in the country in order to empower institutions and individuals against malicious technological infringements. Compromising the rights of citizens in the use of IT is not a resolution.”

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Besides addressing its own IT problems first, the government should look into the predatory practices of telecommunication firms and their ISP subsidiaries so that consumers woes could finally be addressed. More on this in the coming days.

Supreme Court extends voter registration: Use the Christmas break to register as a voter

jhay — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:16:12 +0000

We should all thank the Supreme Court of the Philippines for siding with reason, acting swiftly and upholding our right to suffrage by granting KABATAAN party’s petition to extend the deadline of the continuing voter’s registration for the upcoming 2010 elections.

This is a victory for all youth especially the millions of eligible first-time voters who failed to register the first time around. Now that the registration has been extended up to January 9, 2010, let us not waste this opportunity to visit your local COMELEC office and register as a voter.

Here’s the text of the Supreme Court decision extending the deadline of voter registration courtesy of fellow BK Crew Tonyo Cruz:

GR189868: Full Text of Supreme Court decision on voter registration

Use the upcoming Christmas vacation wisely and it would just take a day to register as a voter. Congratulations to Rep. Mong Palatino of KABATAAN party and the other progressive youth-leaders who joined in the petition, this decision of the Supreme Court is a decision for our collective democratic struggle to advance the rights and cause of the Filipino youth.

Support HB 6799: Anti-No Permit, No Exam Bill

jhay — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:00:33 +0000

The “No Permit, No Exam” policy has been a policy that has long continued to make students, most especially the poor ones to suffer and struggle to finish their education. In most cases, students who are unable to pay their tuition fees are forced to drop out because they’d been denied to take major examinations which would jeopardize their hard-earned grades at the start of the semester or school year.

With this policy in existence and practice, education has indeed become a privilege rather than a right as guaranteed in the Philippine Constitution. However, progressive student-leaders have continued to struggle for the abolition of this policy. The history of campus-politics and student government elections have often been decided by this issue.

In De La Salle University – Dasmariñas, we took the opportunity of the resisting this policy during the revision of the DLSUD University Student Council revision last 2007, wherein we included an anti-No permit, No Exam policy in the Bill of Students’ Rights.

Though it met some resistance from the representatives of the University Administration, we were able to muster enough votes to have it ratified. So now, students can find this anti-No Permit, No Exam policy enshrined in the 2008 USC Consitution, Art. III, Sect. 1, a.4

Student with delinquent accounts permitted to take examination shall nevertheless be subject to the right of the University to withold the release or issuance of student’s school records or documents or to deny such students from admission for the next semester or year until prior delinquencies are fully paid.

Fortunately, KABATAAN party-list has taken the struggle against the “No Permit, No Exam” policy to the halls of Congress and has introduced a bill that makes such policy illegal. House Bill No 6799 or the “Anti-’No Permit, No Exam’ Act of 2009″.

HB 6799 Anti-No Permit, No Exam Bill-2

Hopefully, the bill will be passed into a law. Which is what should be done, and should have been done a long time ago. Private universities & colleges, most of whom are Catholic institutions must realize that education should not be a business, rather, it should be done as a ministry, service or vocation as many of them profess, and this proposed law would ensure just that.

Let us support this measure in Congress. Write to your representatives ask them to support the House Bill No 6799, organize and mobilize our fellow students to show support and campaign for the passage of this measure into a law, thereby, ensuring all Filipino youth the education they so richly deserve.

Vanishing Cell Phone Load? Nawalang load? May magagawa ka!

jhay — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:22:30 +0000

The pressure on the NTC and the telecommunications companies to come up with solutions to the problem of vanishing prepaid credits seemed to have paid off now that new rules will come out that require the telcos to extend to shelf life of prepaid credits (load) here in the Philippines.

Part of the draft NTC rules lays down the new shelf life of prepaid credits:

credits of P10 to P20 will be valid for seven days; over P20 to P30 for 10 days; over P30 to P40 for 14 days; over P40 to P50 for 17 days; over P50 toP60 for 20 days; over P60 to P70 for 24 days; over P70 to P80 for 21 days; over P80 to P100 for 30 days; over Pl00 to Pl50 for 45 days; over Pl50 to P200 for 60 days; over P200 to P300 for 90 days; and over P300 to P600 for 150 days.

Aside from the extension of prepaid credit’s shelf life, another set of rules will:

clamp down on the activities of third-party “value-added service” firms that send unsolicited text messages to mobile phone owners.

Well and good. Finally, the public seems to have gotten something really good from a Senate hearing. Though it took one of them to be a victim of the “vanishing load” for the whole Senate to act on the matter, but it’s better to be late than never right?

Of course, we’ve been all too familiar with this problems by now. It’s just comforting to know that at last, something is being done by the higher-ups and the public.

KABATAAN Cyber Fever! Todo na to!

jhay — Fri, 11 May 2007 00:46:44 +0000

KA – Karapatan sa Edukasyon at Empleyo (Right to Education and Employment)
BA – Batayang Serbisyong Panlipunan (Basic Social Services)
TA – Talino at Galing sa Pamamahala (Excellence in Governance)
AN – Anak ng Bayan para sa Maningning na Kinabukasan (Sons and Daughters of the Nation for a Bright Future)

Our future IS our choice.

This coming May 14, vote for honest officials, for principled leadership and for change. Now more than ever is the time for the youth to be involved.

Vote for KABATAAN PARTY-LIST. Tayo naman sa Kongreso!

BLOGS for KABATAAN PARTY: Adarnaâ€™s Attic, Antala at Kaligta, Atomicgirl, Autumn Blossom, Bikoy.net, Bintana sa Kasingkasing, Bittersweet Coffee, Dashisip, Es2pido, Etsapwera, Four-Eyed Journal, Judges 6-8, I am Katerin, International Relief, Kalabaw Farm, Karlamagandasobra, Kaulayaw, Kitrotsky, lanc3.blogspot.com, Lilredbook, Mainit na Sabaw, Misteryosa.com, Mongsterâ€™s Nest, Myepinoy, Ngrksz, Otom, Punong Bathala, Rebong Baby, Rob & The Blogosphere, Sinukuan, Stephani333, Student Strike, Superportia, Talking Elephants, Tinig.com, Tonyo, TXTPower, Witness Statement, Wonderboy, Young Radicals | moreâ€¦ | YES to Youth Representation in Congress! Link up and join the Kabataan Cyber-Fever!

EDIT: Here’s the video of KABATAAN’s TV ad. Astig!

This cyber campaign is offered for free by the Four-eyed Journal in support of KABATAAN party-list. Please feel free to copy-paste the contents of this post, visit and link up to the other blog supporters of KABATAAN and help us secure seats in the Congress that would become the eyes, ears and voice of the Filipino youth in our government.

Support us in our campaign, voting for KABATAAN this coming May 14 elections is a vote well deserved by your sons and daughters and for future Filipinos as well.

Bloggers are not the only ones who support KABATAAN, consumer and mobile rights group TXT-Power has pledged support as well. Everyone is joining in, we little reason why should not. Visit KABATAAN website and make your voice be heard.