“The important issue we need to submit here is whether the memorandum issued by the NTC should be nullified in its entirety."
This is my purpose in life, I thought, to fight for the people and with the people. Eventually, I coped with my first heartbreak as I have found my true purpose.
Bulatlat maintains that these so-called “cyber security” efforts could mean online surveillance, distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, “fake news” and other forms of attacks aimed to suppress freedom of the press and of expression, as well as the people’s right to information. This issue was brought to the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan who will hold her official country visit next week.
Despite attempts to deviate himself from his predecessor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr has continued a counterinsurgency policy which resulted in gross human rights violations.
Bulatlat’s training is part of its project titled, "Advancing Human rights Reporting in the Philippines as a Tool for Upholding Gender Fairness, Democracy and Accountability" through its publisher Alipato Media Center. The six-month project is being supported by the German Embassy Manila.
Media outlets have been subjected to DDoS attacks.
“It is an insult to the intelligence and independence of the presiding Judge, and the entire judicial system for that matter."
In an effort to highlight the attacks against press freedom in the international community, alternative media groups have submitted their complaints to experts from the United Nations on Friday, Nov. 11, in Geneva Switzerland.
Are cyberattacks mere browsing? A group of Filipino IT experts belied military claims that they were merely browsing through the websites of independent media outlets.
“However silly the term ‘operatibang internet operator’ sounds, the attempt to link Ms. Olea to the CPP-NPA-NDF for her work in Bulatlat and in NUJP shows how hollow the claim made by Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla before the UN Human Rights Council that red-tagging is simple criticism that is ‘part of a democracy.'"
“To the Court, any limitation or restriction in the exercise of one’s right, no matter the extent, is a form of deprivation and clearly a violation of such right."
In the motion, Bulatlat argued that the memorandum filed by the NTC “is a content-based prior restraint on protected expression, which is unconstitutional” and Bulatlat “suffered from grave injustice or irreparable injury” from the implementation of the website blocking.
Minerva Lopez of the NUPL, who is also among the lawyers of Bulatlat, said that despite the denial of the TRO, “the merits of the case are yet to be decided upon by the court.”
“The blocking measure imposed through Defendant NTC’s 08 June 2022 Memorandum constitutes censorship and prior restraint or subsequent punishment, as the case may be, on the past, present, and future news as well as editorial content of Bulatlat.com."
Together with, and partly as a result of, its attacks on the press, it is leaving behind it neither change nor development, but more of the same rule of the few, even worse poverty, and, as it kept reminding us, the use of State violence and terror against anyone who dared exercise the freedoms the Constitution protects.
Bulatlat has condemned this move as prior restraint against protected speech, adding that this is based on hearsay of National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
“No matter who is in power, we have remained fearless in our truth-telling. We will continue our work while we also consider all legal remedies available to question, and stop yet another state-sponsored repression."
“As lawmakers, it is our duty to ensure that public funds are used judiciously for the benefit of the people, and not used to violate their civil and political rights enshrined in our Constitution.”
A community of readers and supporters that help us sustain our operations through microdonations for as low as $1.