Stakeholders will be consulted on Cybercrime Law IRR — Lacierda

Netizens will be consulted when the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the controversial Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, is drafted, a Malacañang official said Wednesday in an effort to appease those opposing the implementation of the law.   According to presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima have agreed to consult stakeholders in crafting the IRR.   “They would like to get also consultations from certainly those people who will be affected by this law,” Lacierda said at a press briefing in Malacañang. “So the IRR will be crafted with those considerations in mind. But as to how it’s going to be conducted, we will leave that to Secretary De Lima."   RA 10175, which President Benigno Aquino III signed into law last Sept. 12, took effect Wednesday, Oct. 3.   Lacierda said De Lima is expected to explain how the consultation will be conducted “in the next few days.” “With respect to the consultation, Secretary Carandang spoke with Secretary Leila de Lima and, in the next few days, Secretary De Lima will perhaps explain how the consultation will be conducted,” he said.   Lacierda assured the public that the IRR will not contradict the law.   “The water cannot rise above the source,” he said. “I cannot comment on what the team that is going to draft the IRR will do. But on a constitutional level, the water cannot rise above the source. So IRR is bound by the law itself.”   De Lima earlier said the IRR will “harmonize” the controversial law.   “We will study the provisions being questioned now before the Supreme Court and determine and find out exactly how the IRR can be used in terms of clarifying or harmonizing those so-called objectionable portions,” De Lima said.   Meanwhile, Lacierda explained that Aquino signed the law without a line veto because he isn’t allowed to under the Constitution, adding that the president was faced with a “yes” or “no” decision regarding the Cybercrime Prevention Act.   “A line veto kasi under the Constitution cannot be done unless it is an appropriations bill such as budget. So if it’s an appropriations bill you can veto a line-item. You cannot do that in a non-appropriations bill. You either sign the entire law or you veto the entire law. And so, hindi kasi ito appropriations bill,” he said.   At least nine petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court questioning the Cybercrime Law, particularly its provision on online libel, saying it curtails the right for freedom of speech. — Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News