tfLa|rrrylr
Business
Wednesday, April 24, 2OL9
BY WEI{DELL YIGILI.A
REP Jericho Nograles (Pl PBA)
yesterday said "cybet-destabiliza-
tion" against government should
be de{ined as an act of terrorism
undet the Human Security Act
of 2007 . temains that cyber terrorism
Nograles, nephew of President
Duterte, said the act should be a
non-bailable offense that carries
the marimum penalty provided
undet the Revised Penal Code.
'rWe (the House of Representa-
tir.es) will study revising the Hu-
man Security Act of 2007. I believe
that cyber destabilization is an act
of terrorism. The St2te must Dro-
tecr rrs people ftom tir.uti. for'.igrt
Insbht
or domestic," he said,
Nognles issued this statement
in the Jight of Malacanang's claim
that drere is a plot to oust Duterte
through the internet.
'qffhether the destabilization
plot is true or not, the fact
should be defined in our laws
so our Government can protect
the State and its people. Unless
we defiire and punish the crime,
the internet vrill remain as pcitent
tool for coup plotters and desta-
bilizers," he said.
Malacaiang earlier accused the
Philippine Center forlnvestigative
Journalism (PCIJ, Rappler, and
journalists Inday Espina-Varona
t' P4g+; B,z"
-
and Ellen Tordesillas, and the
human tights law group Na-
tional Union of Peoples' Lawyers
(I.JUPL) of working to topple
Duterte. Chief Ptesidential I-egal
Counsel Salvador Panelo who is
al,1o thq prqsidential spokesman,
bared the supposed plot and even
released a matrix last Monday.
The same matdx was published
by the Manila Times on the same
day, accompanied by an atticle
written by the newspaper's chair
man emeritus and the President's
current special envoy for interna-
tional public relations, Dante Ang,
Nogtales said the Human Secu-
rity Act should keep up with the
changing times since "terrorism
is no longer just about the use
of violence to instill feat among .
the people because the internet
has become a convenient tool to
frighten, confuse and spread false
information."
The lawmaker, a son of former
speaker Ptospero Nograles and
brother of Cabinet Sectetaty
Katlo Nograles, said !'spreading
lies to rveaken the governmeat
and spread fear among our people
tlrough the internet is just as scary
as bombing a mall or a public
plaza."
"There might be a reed to
toughen our law against cybet-
destabilization ot cyber-tertodsm,"
Nograles he said.