President Aquino, probably ignoring counsel from his legal team (who have blundered quite embarrassingly earlier anyway), has finally proceeded to issue his own statement with regards the Cybercrime Prevention Act. The alarming fact is, he has blithely ignored the people’s counsel, the people whom he once called his “boss.”
Benigno S. Aquino III
A leader who has to qualify freedom of expression as having corresponding responsibilities or limits is an ineffective one. One who is afraid of the people. Even a child knows that freedom isn’t absolute, so why the need to state the obvious? Everyone knows that actions have consequences. Tell me, does fighting for freedom automatically mean clamoring for the right to do absolutely anything? Only an idiot would think so.
In Malaysia last year, Prime Minister Najib declared to an audience of bloggers that his government would uphold the people’s freedom of expression. Then he immediately proceeded with admonishments of responsible writing, etc, etc. Ask any Malaysian blogger or journalist if they feel as at ease as we do in terms of free speech.
On the same occasion, I also got to meet Dr. Mahathir. He said that he hoped Noynoy would live up to his parents’ reputation. My assessment right now: FAIL.
Aquino seems to believe that he runs a benevolent government, with nobody in it abusive at all, so that defective laws wouldn’t ever be used against the people. Reading today’s report about his stand on the controversial law, I was appalled by the naïveté of this so-called chief executive.
This one doesn’t cut it. He doesn’t have the mettle. In fact, I am ashamed to have him as president.
6 October 2012 • 10:18 am
did you vote for him. i plead guilty to having grudgingly done so. believed he was the only viable alternative–vote getting-wise–to Erap. But now, i am very unhappy over this.
6 October 2012 • 5:46 pm
Same here, unfortunately. I voted for Noynoy because I didn’t want Erap to win. Lesser evil. But evil nonetheless?