Silencing dissent in times of pandemic

With the crooked mindset of our leaders, the law can be weaponized to silence dissent and criticism.

Recently, local reports said Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia tried to intimidate critics of the government’s initiatives on COVID-19 by threatening to deploy a special unit to trace those raising negative comments.

Her statement came amid the passage of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. The said measure also aims to punish those “individuals or groups creating, perpetrating, or spreading false information regarding the COVID-19 crisis on social media and other platforms, such information having no valid or beneficial effect on the population, and are clearly geared to promote chaos, panic, anarchy, fear, or confusion.”

These state actions create an environment that curbs free speech.

Remember that it was China’s state censorship that placed us where we are right now. Had Beijing chosen to be transparent early on about the rise of COVID-19, the world would have effectively contained the virus as early as December.

Both Taiwan and South Korea have also highlighted the fact that transparency and openness are key to battling the pandemic. They have done this without curtailing the right to free speech of their citizens.

The race to perfect our health systems is on, and we can only do so by allowing citizens to express criticism. We should allow them to express disgust and demand the highest standards of government services. The adoption of policies curtailing our speech is certainly not the way to go.

In times of crisis, it is the genuine exercise of our democratic rights that can save us. Do not be fooled by authoritarian rulers. All that they can do is to peddle propaganda that leaves their people blinded.

REJINEL VALENCIA
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