CBCP: 'Sobriety,' not hacking, is the way to criticize Cybercrime Law

Amid the wave of continued protests against the Anti-Cybercrime Act on the first day of its implementation a Catholic Church official called on netizens to approach the issue with sobriety and not with hacking.

 

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Youth executive secretary Fr. Conegundo Garganta said all things, including the issues surrounding the law, can be discussed in a peaceful way.

 

"The advocates should discuss the issue with the government and not to resort in hacking government websites," he said in an article posted Wednesday afternoon on the CBCP news site.

 

The law went into effect Wednesday - an event hacker groups marked by defacing and attacking several government websites, including those of the Office of the President and Congress.

 

Many groups have also questioned the law by lodging cases before the Supreme Court, saying the law tramples on human rights and freedom of expression.

 

On the otheer hand, Garganta stressed freedom is not absolute and people must always think before they click.

 

But he also suggested that lawmakers should have a public hearing and must think about the implication of the law at the local, national and international levels. — TJD, GMA News