Still Under Construction

Once again, I enjoyed the latest comment posted.

Many Thanks for the Comment

I thought our blog entry would not merit the attention of anyone in the class but to my surprise, not only was there a comment, but what a comment it was:

Are you serious?If the government is given the go signal to suppress the freedom of expression of communists, what is the guarantee that it won't do this with ordinary citizens. or are you proposing a complete control/monitoring/black out of anti-government ideas like what China is doing?

It made my day because I realized the significance of my proposal, that it was not merely a submission to meet a course deadline, but an advocacy which impacts on our lives as UP students of law (yabang!) and freedom-loving citizens.

The comment, while quite receptive to the idea, expresses doubts that such measure would not be across the board, that ordinary citizens would not be lumped in the same classification as the clear objects of the measure – the members of the NPA. In this regard I could not agree more. Today our Congress is said to be composed of three branches: the Lower House, the Senate and the Bicameral Committee. Our justice system is not perfect, especially with the alleged propensity of some lawyers to analyze complex questions of fact and law using their profound knowledge of the judge.

Simply put, we will ensure that sufficient guarantees will be put in place so that our legislators will not cut corners in the drafting of the law. Of course the standard would be proof beyond reasonable doubt. Then perhaps we can mobilize to educate the public about the ABC’s of the law. And more…

Definitely, the proposal would not even be remotely similar to a complete control/monitoring/black out of anti-government ideas like what China is doing. The proposal made it very clear that the prohibition on the possession and use of high tech gadgets would be applied against the members of the NPA who are waging an arms struggle against the government, nothing more, nothing less. It would not cover political activists of any denomination. It will strictly be a tool to complement the present military operations against the NPAs who are using the latest IT solutions to enhance their combat power. Equally important is its being an expression of support to our soldiers who continue to offer their lives to protect the security and welfare of the Filipino people.

And yes, I’m serious with my proposal and I am gratified by the comment.

A Modest Proposal

I do not really know if this article will merit the serious attention of anyone in the class because it seeks to propose a peculiar application of Information Technology in the government’s strategy to eliminate the problem of insurgency in the country. Simply stated, this writer advocates the passage of a law that would criminalize the use or possession of every type or make of Information Technology gadget by the members of the New People’s Army (NPA). What it further means is that as part of the valid exercise of Police Power by the government, no member of the NPA may legally possess or use laptops, cell phones, tactical radios etc and the rationale is quite understandable: the NPA as the military arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) undertakes a military struggle to overthrow the existing social, political and economic order and supplant it with its own regime. Presently, they are heavily involved in Ideological, Political and Organizational activities or, plain grassroots propaganda work.

In the course of their struggle the NPA cadres have taken full advantage of the innovations in IT to secure their communication systems, disrupt the communication lines of the AFP and make efficient their propaganda work with the members of the civilian population. Many Filipinos may not be aware of it, but IT has become one of the more potent weapons being used by the NPA against the government. This has to stop and one way of doing it would be to impose stricter controls so that anti government groups advocating arms struggle would not be given a free ride in the technological revolution whose benefits are being enjoyed by members of mainstream society.

I know that this advocacy has not even been thought of, not even in Iraq. But that is precisely the point – the Philippines is not Iraq! The Philippines is a country governed by the Rule of Law and the government has every right to defend itself against those which seek not merely to undermine it, but to overthrow it. And it is the duty of every citizen to contribute to the defense of the institutions that are silently threatened by the communist insurgency.

While it is good to think of how the IT revolution could be better managed by the formulation of policies that make sense and would redound for the benefit of the people – as other blog entries would suggest - the need to properly regulate the use of high tech contraptions or applications against the organs of the state is quite very timely. We have an insurgency situation in our midst and as responsible citizens we should try to think of ways by which we could help the government. And I think UP Law students enrolled in the Information Technology class should seriously consider how IT could be managed as a tool to reduce the insurgency thereat.

That’s all for now. Typhoon “Reming” is already perilously creeping.

Initial Salvo

It seems that the Philippines is once again walking the political tightrope. We are presently occupied by the promise or curse of Cha-Cha, either through PIRMA (PI) or when it fell below judicial scrutiny, Con-Ass. But to me beyond these political maneuvers in Congress and the Parliament of the Streets lies the more important question of the survival of our nation. We face the more serious effects of an armed communist insurgency which has been online for quite a long time, or the secessionist struggle in the south and other military issues which to our mind we should all help resolve.

And so we will take this occasion to try to propose, discuss and hopefully crystallize solutions to our social, political and military issues using Information Technology solutions or applications.

We will try.

Enjoy!