SC to decide on anti-cybercrime law this week – partylist group

According to the Kabataan partylist group, the Supreme Court will hand down its decision on the controversial Anti-Cybercrime Act of 2012  as early as Tuesday this week. “In this light, we call on everyone not just to remain vigilant, but also resume the online and offline protests,” said Kabataan Partylist President Terry Ridon. “The fight against the Cybercrime Law is nearing conclusion. Yet netizens are still urged to remain vigilant until the SC finally strikes down the assailed law. Only then can we fully claim victory,” he added. Kabataan said the it received its information from "several sources" in the Supreme Court who "asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter." Last year, the high court had issued a temporary restraining order against the Anti-Cybercrime Law. Critics claimed that the law, which had provisions on such matters as online libel, would stifle freedom of expression. The high court indefinitely extended the TRO last February. Ridon is a lawyer for one of the groups that filed petitions against the Anti-Cybercrime Law. At least 15 petitions were filed before the High Court against the law. He said the Supreme Court's decision may finally "end the legal limbo that the temporary restraining order has set upon the Cybercrime Law." But he added no one can be sure how the High Court would vote. "Thus we encourage the public to rekindle our broad unity against the so-called e-Martial Law.” He also claimed recent developments warrant greater public pressure, such as a SC decision that opened the partylist system to a free-for-all competition. “With the SC exhibiting such anti-people sentiments in recent decisions, the public cannot be 100 percent assured that it will strike down the Cybercrime Law. There is really a need for us to intensify our campaign.” — DVM, GMA News