Palace awaits proposed Data Privacy Act sans 'anti-media' provisions

With the safeguards that came with the Data Privacy Act, Philippine media can rest assured the measure cannot be used to harass them, Malacañang said Sunday.   Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the inclusion of the safeguards show legislators listen to the opinions of stakeholders.   “At least now mapapanatag press groups natin (At least now our media groups can rest assured their rights are protected),” she said on government-run dzRB radio.   Earlier, a congressional bicameral committee approved the Data Privacy Act before the congressional session ended last week, with more safeguards put in place to protect press freedom. Sen. Edgardo Angara said the bicameral committee rectified any ambiguity in the bill that may be leveraged to put a muzzle on our journalists, producers, or any media practitioners.   Media organizations had protested previous versions of the bill, saying certain provisions may be used to impose penalties on journalists for “breaches of confidentiality.”   "There is nothing of the sort in this bill. Therefore there is absolutely no reason to be alarmed," Angara said in a news release.   "Press freedom is provided clearly in our Constitution, but so is a person's right to privacy," Angara said.  "What the Data Privacy Act does is simply extend the safeguards on privacy to the personal information transmitted and stored via the Internet and other ICT."   He clarified that the bill’s “main intention was to generate confidence in IT-BPO, e-governance and e-commerce in the country. Many other countries where these industries are flourishing have similar laws in place. In that way, this law is not unique and just puts us on a par with global standards." — ELR, GMA News