Topic: Safety, Security, and Well-being

Country: Philippines

Resolution: Be it resolved that member states filter or censor media to avoid espionage

Recently, the international community has been concerned about spyware problem. In
2015 of June, the UN Human Rights Council's discussions focused on how to protect the human
rights of privacy and freedom of expression in the digital age. After a common struggle of
countries which identified the need for international regulation relating to this matter of
monitoring and collecting personal information freely violate the universal human right to
privacy and freedom of expression. Basically reiterated people's privacy, although emerging
technologies in general and wireless spy easier than ever before. While the spy is the
organization to sneak into other countries’ high level of organization in order to protect their own
country's safety, but just as hackers, they use various means to get their favor national secrets,
this can cause huge damage to other countries. This is the reason why Censorship is valuable
when it comes to hiding sensitive military information since it can be used by the enemy. Some
might say censorship is absolutely needed in protecting one’s nation, which falls under military
censorship purposes.

The Philippines has a major problem on the internet safety since it is one of the top five
countries that serve by the hacker and yet a computer security software company of the country
has discovered a cyber-criminal group believed to be conducting espionage activities through a
malicious software, or malware that has already spread to at least 31 countries. Aside from that,
President Rodrigo Duterte, who was elected in May 2016, said that corrupt journalists deserved
to be assassinated in his first press conference, a troubling omen for freedom of expression and
press freedom. One online media—the online news network Rappler—was ordered closed for
being critical of the administration and reporting that it has "weaponized" social media to
discredit and sow online hate against vocal critics of the President. At least two organizations
known for providing critical news were reported to have had their websites hacked. In September
of 2012, the “Philippines Republic Act No. 10175“, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention
Act, was passed which raised controversy. Journalists and “rights groups” opposed to the
“draconian legislation.” In February of the same year, the senate tempered and made provisions
to segments of the Act. With that, the Department of Justice cannot restrict access to or block
websites without a court order; and the government cannot monitor phone or internet use in
“real-time” without prior court order or warrant. To summarize the revisions made, sending
spam cannot be considered as a crime. Even with the revision of punishing libelous content,
censoring anonymous online criticism has been a tricky issue to tackle upon. A majority of social
media organizations are working together to overall to decriminalize libel in the Philippines. This
is because, those taken to court regarding libelous statement cases, are firstly presumed as tainted
malice until there is proper proof against the accuser. Without proof, there would be no jail
sentencing or so. In fact, not only does the Philippines view libel as a crime, countries such as
Venezuela, Azerbaijan, Albania, India, and South Korea believe libel is a criminal offense which
can be taken to serious punishment like imprisonment. Aside from that, on 26th of May 2017, one
of the Philippine military in Mindanao said it would censor the press and social media to protect
"national security" across the southern third of the country that is under martial law, and warned
violators would be arrested. The Martial law was declared by President Rodrigo Duterte law
across the southern region of Mindanao on May 23 to combat what he says is the rising threat of
Islamic militancy. The military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said at the press
conference the censorship would be based on three conditions: to ensure the safety of lives, to
ensure operational security and ensure the safety of their men in uniform who are fighting, and
for other national security considerations.

Overall, Filipino politicians are leaning towards internet censorship, by means of having
internet service providers install filters where they can block access to child pornography or
other accessible websites that consider censors. With new technology and laws being
implemented, the Philippines are doing their very best to make sure those who surf the net are
safe and comfortable. Things may seem entertaining or amusing but there is always a limit to
how society presents things, people, and concepts.