Lawyers, teachers and groups beheld how authorities keep summoning social media users who air their opinions against government’s response on the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Teacher from Zambales arrested for P50-million bounty post
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a public teacher from Masinloc town in Zambales who posted on Twitter offering a bounty of P50-million prize to any individual who could execute President Rodrigo Duterte. He was brought to the NBI office in Manila.
NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin affirmed the arrest of the 25-year-old teacher who was presented to media at the NBI Manila office. NBI Cybercrime chief Vic Lorenzo said that among the possible cybercrime violations of the tweet was “inciting to sedition.”
The NBI identified the suspect as Ronnel Mas, a social science instructor at Taltal National High School.
Mas was charged at the Department of Justice with violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
Mas tweeted, “I will give P50 million reward kung sino makakapatay kay [who can kill] Duterte #NoToABSCBNShutdown” on May 5. He deleted it but some had already taken a screenshot of his post which then became the basis for authorities to arrest him.
In the NBI headquarters, Mas apologized and said it was a joke, adding: “I merely matched the P50-million reward [Duterte] offered for a vaccine [against the coronavirus].”
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines denounced the arrest of Mas and said it was an “overkill.” They also called for the release of Mas.
“Teachers’ dire economic state is no secret to the people, especially to the government. 25-year old Teacher Ronnel obviously does not have 50 million to pay as bounty hence his post clearly does not pose any serious threat to the President. Why then did the NBI spend valuable time and resources to apprehend this teacher?” raised ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio.
ACT said Mas is a Social Studies teacher in Taltal National High School, Zambales and was awarded 3rd place as 2019 Outstanding Secondary Teacher in the province.
ACT noted Mas to be the 3rd teacher who was arrested during the quarantine period for airing out their disappointments and frustrations over the government’s faulty response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The students of Mas appealed for understanding.
“He is depressed so please, if you still have compassion and respect for yourself and others, you should never intervene, judge and [degrade] others,” the student said on a Facebook post.
UP Diliman College of Mass Communication journalism educator Prof. Danilo Arao in his tweet made an example of the post of Mas as one falling under free speech.
“FREE SPEECH: If my net worth is P50 million and I offer this amount to anybody who would kill the President, then authorities would take me seriously if I posted it on social media. But if I don’t have that money, what is the point? Note: Rhetorical hyperbole is protected speech,” said Arao on May 12.
ACT said Mas is the fifth teacher to have been accosted during the enhanced community quarantine. The first ones were Teachers Juliet and Eli Espiñosa of General Santos City, followed by Teacher Dale Gregory Medins on Las Piñas City, then Teacher Edison Carsera of Norzagaray.
After teacher, 2 more nabbed over ‘bounty offer’ to kill Duterte
Authorities captured two individuals in Cebu and Aklan territories who posted about offering a bounty to kill the president through Facebook.
Ronald Quiboyen, 40, and Maria Catherine Ceron, 26, were arrested and facing charges of inciting to sedition in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
Quiboyen, a construction worker, posted on his Facebook account: “‘Yong 50-milyon nyo doblihin ko, gawin kung 100-milyon kung sino makapatay kay Duterte. Andito ako ngayon sa Boracay.”
[That P50 million bounty, I will double that and make it P100 million for those who can kill Duterte. I am here in Boracay.]
Police arrested Quiboyen at Sitio Hagdan in Barangay Yapak, Malay at 7 p.m. by a group of police officers in Malay town in Aklan and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit. Quiboyen is now detained in Malay police station and would face a charge if inciting to sedition.
Ceron is reportedly an unemployed college graduate and was arrested at Barangay Ibabao in Cordova town, Cebu on May 13, hours after she allegedly posted on her Facebook account a P75-million reward for killing Duterte. Ceron denied posting the offer and said her account was hacked.
Sales rep arrested for social media post against Bong Go and Duterte
Reynaldo Orcullo was captured on Wednesday in Nasipit town for calling the president “buang” [crazy].
“ALAM NA PATTERN, MOSALIDA SI GO KONUHAY SIYA MOHANGYO SA BUANG NGA PANGULO, DIGONG GAGO. BUANG SI DIGONG,” he said in his Facebook post.
[Translation: We know the pattern. Go will try to make a scripted request to crazy Digong. Digong is stupid. Digong is crazy.]
The mugshots of the 41-year-old sales rep were taken by police for infringement of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Members of Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) 13 and Nasipit Municipal Police Station arrested Orcullo at his residence at 3 p.m.
“I remind our social media users to think thrice before posting on any social media platform. Be responsible netizens. We do enjoy the blessings of democracy but never go beyond from what you think is right without minding you violate the provisions of the law,” Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel Jr., Caraga police director, said in an announcement.
Human rights lawyer Atty. Chel Diokno responded to arrest of Orcullo.
“The limited authority given to the police to arrest without warrant is only for crimes that occur in their presence. Crimes like libel (specially those where no complaint is filed) were never meant to be the subject of warrantless arrests. Only judges are equipped with the knowledge and impartiality to decide if a person should be jailed for libel,” Diokno said in his tweet.
Diokno said it is not the PNP’s job to protect the president from the people’s opinion.
“Pano aarestuhin ng PNP itong salesman na minura ang Pangulo kung Pangulo nga mismo e minura ang senador, Santo Papa, ang Simbahan, at napakarami pang iba? Hindi trabaho ng PNP protektahan ang Pangulo sa opinyon ng taumbayan. Ang trabaho nyo e protektahan ang taumbayan,” Diokno said.
[How does the PNP arrest a salesman who cursed the president when the president has cursed a senator, the Pope, the Church and many others? It is not the job of the PNP to protect the president from the people’s opinion. Your job is to protect the people.]
More violent and disturbing pronouncements from Duterte
ACT said they are confused why the prevalence of even more violent and disturbing posts and pronouncements by Duterte supporters and even government officials against critics of the administration had not been met with the same aggressive response from law enforcers.
The group cited the President’s various official media pressers where he called on authorities to commit murder and rape, among others, against critics, oppositions, and anyone else deemed as enemies of the administration.
The group pointed out that DFA Secretary Teddy Locsin, Jr. said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) shall be shot to death as he alleged the group to be communists and he was not arrested or investigated.
The group concluded that the selective justice and double standard showed this is not a matter of implementing the law, but depending on the prerogative of those in power.
“It is an issue of repression and punitive actions against dissenters and sentiments that may be seen as ‘anti-government.’ This is an attack on free speech, on democracy. This is an attempt to sow fear among the people, to dissuade them to speak up about their situation and convictions,” criticized Basilio.
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