Freedom of Expression in the Philippines Essay

Give me the independence to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, preceding(prenominal) all liberties. JOHN MILTONIndividual freedom and corporal fount in the Philippines, Id say, is the round exercised and an unmistakable sanctify of this countrys democracy. Our individual a honorables and freedoms, the just about basic, the essential to the complex and critical unitys correct our identity as Filipinos, and the basic multiplication of our humanity. That need to ex beseech, to communicate, and to reach out to unitary an oppositewise without the fear of judg workforcet or even criminal prosecution. We expect the freest press, the most uncensored and unrestricted provisions on our freedom to express ourselves, to look to other bulks take on relevant slues and whatsoever(prenominal)times just so, because we regard to and because we privy. And when these be stripped of us, we resist. We react, and to some fulfilment violently and rebelliou sly just so we can send that fierce essence that as a democratic country, with the collective freedoms and justlys decl ared in our charter, no iodine has the overcompensate to deny us of those rights and freedoms. further sometimes, too often freedom can mean abuse of freedom. And restrictions or non, these freedoms arent absolute. One is still liable to what he says, especially in public. As professionals and practitioners of the press, they are obligated for balanced views and opinions. Slander, libel, false accusations and some(prenominal) other form with malicious flavour is tolerated by freedom of carriage. One can non lodge someone of something and invoke his freedom of expression, and stock it to give him immunity from the law.Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, cause and im spark information and i deas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Article 19 (2) of the outside(a) Covenant on Civil and semipolitical Rights affirms Everyone shall curb the right to freedom of expression this right shall includefreedom to seek, give and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. under(a) the Bill of Rights of the Philippine Constitution, Article III, air division 4 declares No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the muckle peaceably to assemble and quest the government for redress of grievances. scarcely it wasnt too long ago when the ill-famed Cybercrime Bill was signed by the president. It gage flawed provisions that largely offend advocates of freedom of speech. It awakened this fire not only to these advocates nevertheless to ordinary Filipinos who was dead faced with the p ossibility of being denied of this freedom. It terrified some. And now the Bill is on a temporary restraining order after a substantially deal protest that involved hacktivists hacking government servers and websites. The presidents website down to other departments werent spared from their wrath. Rallies and demonstrations plagued the major government offices. Even the press expressed its dismay on the extravagant cubic yard the bill imposed. And thus, this freedom prevailed. familiarity means responsibility.That is why most men dread it. GEORGE BERNARD SHAWHow many times induce we seen major political figures get external with it? How often have seen them actually pay off for their wrongful actions?Seldom, if not n of all time.Im not going to expound much on the issue of legal independence, though its another(prenominal) critical criteria of good governance that somehow connects with this issue. The influence of the decision maker and legislative branches respectively, to our judiciary, though less good deal wants to admit it, is not unheard of. I would even go as far as saying that appearances aside, alliances between people from these three legs of our establishment speaks volumes if we want to parley about partiality, of nicety being served, or of thejudiciary protecting people from the other two branches.Ex-chief justice Renato nimbuss historic impeachment can attest to this connection. population have been pour forthing about Coronas alleged alliance with GMA ever since he was appointed by the latter, have sprouted suspicions and dirty allegations and from that standpoint, when the chief justices public image is tainted, people will not just talk of injustice. Regardless of its truth or falsity, in their eyes, the then chief justice must(prenominal) no longer be a chief justice. Then came his impeachment, which was on the grounds of not declaring assets and liabilities on his SALN, which then comes to vindicated a public officials di shonesty or honest shift of omission, we will never know. After that torturous days of examining the facts and arguing from point A to point B about this and that in the senate, I dont hark back it had achieved much but prove a point.A point that I guesswork is a starting step into retentiveness a public official responsible for his action. Its a welcomed change. But permits look at our designer president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Somehow, shes still out of the custody of accountability to her grave misdeeds in office. Her insolence not to resign when reasonable produce has been unearthed of her alleged influence on the 2004 presidential elect(ip)ions. Evidences, though illegal or precise surfaced, or did you forget the wiretapping Hello Garci scandal. Those tapes allegedly suggested that Arroyo ordered the rigging of the national elections for her to go on by around one jillion votes over against the late Fernando Poe, youngerHowever, she indeed conversed with COMELE C commissioner Virgilio Garciliano, and it was a lapse of judgment on her part and made the most talked about apologia in television. Her alleged cheating and electoral sabotage induced public protests, to no avail. Several impeachment attempts have followed. Three transgress complaints ensued. One in 2005, and then another in 2006. All defeated and trashed in the family of Representatives. Now what does that say of our system under her presidency? In October 2007, attorney Alan Paguia filed an impeachment complaint against Arroyo in connection with the issue of bribery. Paguias complaint was based on the revelation of Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio that various governors organized religionworthyhalf a million pesos from Malacaang. The impeachment case, as of the middleof October 2007, has already been referred to the House of Representatives commissioning on Justice. Now what? Is it sitting on that point somewhere in the House with dusts and was in conclusion forgotten?Her pres idency, shrouded in controversy, was probably the worse after Marcos, though in the kindred light, we cant deny their contributions in the countrys economical improvement. But accountability, CGMA seems to be immune to.We saw pass on November 18, 2011 after a Pasay accost issued a warrant of arrest against her, succeeding(a) the filing of a complaint for electoral sabotage by the Commission on Elections. At the time, she was in the hospital, so it was a House Arrest. The Supreme Court had issued a Resolution enjoining attempts by the discussion section of Justice to prevent her departure from the Philippines to seek medical treatment overseas.But oh well, The House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. issued a travel permit allowing her to have treatment in Germany despite the discussion section of Justice hold departure order. She was released from hospital arrest on bail and refused to picture any plea on charges she employ $8.8 mill ion in state drawing funds during her term in office. These push-down storage of charges seemed to hang up there again, as she is currently seeking treatment in Germany.Not to be insensitive with her wellness conditions, nor would I wanna say that her health conditions are just convenient lies to evade prosecution, but one has to admit of it being at the right place at the right time. Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder and was placed on family line arrest. Well at least that is some form of penalization we saw. But then, manilla paper had to elect him as their Mayor in the recent polls. Now what does that say about us learning from our mistakes? How can we trust a public official who had already broken our trust in the conquer way possible and then elect him again and put him into a part where he can do it again? I am but a keen observer and naturally has not enough professional or political mandate to be accusing the doll of anything. However, it is my constitutional rig ht to express myself though facts and informed judgments and personal opinions.At this juncture, if one has to violently disagree with me and confront me in the form of a lawsuit (God, I hope not), I leave the demesne of Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, Mahar Mangahas. If any citizen is free to openly agree, but not to openly disagree, then freedom of expression does not prevail. An individuals woof to openly express disagreement without jeopardy of any personal injury is a key part of the definition of a free society.