MANILA -- A measure seeking to penalize online hate and harassment has been filed at the House of Representatives.
Bacolod City Representative Alfredo “Albee” Benitez filed on Monday House Bill 5750 or the proposed Anti-Online Hate and Harassment Act, which prohibits the commission of online hate speech or incitement of discrimination or violence, and engaging in online harassment, including cyberstalking, threats, and doxxing.
The measure proposes imprisonment, P20,000 to P1 million fine, or both, for individuals found guilty of committing these acts, excluding minors, depending on the degree of the violation. Minors who engage in prohibited acts shall be subjected counseling and education on the use of digital spaces.
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The bill seeks to oblige digital platforms to implement reasonable policies and mechanisms for the prompt removal or disabling of access to content that qualifies as cyberlibel, online hate or harassment upon a verified complaint or court order, within a period of 24 hours.
Platforms are further obliged to prompt suspension or banning of users found engaged in prohibited content, designate trained flaggers for content monitoring, and set up mechanisms for users to report abuse and seek redress.
Failure to comply shall be fined P500,000 to P5 million per violation, and possible suspension of operations in the Philippines upon repeated non-compliance, under the measure.
“The freedom of speech… while fundamental, is not absolute, as it demands equal protection from those who would seek to use it as subterfuge for spreading and committing hate, harassment, and coercion for their own vitriolic, selfish, and injurious ends. In today’s digital age, the perceived anonymity and distance granted by the Internet further emboldens such individuals to engage in harmful behavior without fear or reprisal or accountability,” Benitez said.
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“Nothing in this Act shall be construed to penalize or restrict expressions of criticism, satire, or commentary directed at public officials and employees… in relation to the discharge of their functions or matters of public interest. Provided, that this exclusion shall not apply to expressions of actions, which shall contain false statements of fact and/or defamatory assertions that can be proven false,” the bill stated.
In the upper chamber, Senator JV Ejercito filed the Anti-Online Hate and Harassment Bill, otherwise known as the Emman Atienza Bill.
In a press release shared by the Senate of the Philippines on their official website, the bill aims to address the “growing wave of cyberbullying, fake news, and online defamation” in the country.
Emman Atienza, the late daughter of the senator’s good friend, broadcaster Kim Atienza, was a victim of online hate, according to him.
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