Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, former national police chief, has called for a Senate investigation into Facebook’s takedown of a network allegedly linked to the Philippine military or police.

Dela Rosa on Wednesday, September 30, filed a resolution “directing the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the censorship action taken by Facebook.” The document became available on the Senate website on Friday, October 2.

The senator said his proposed investigation has “the end view of ensuring the protection and non-curtailment of the constitutional guaranteed right of freedom of speech and expression.”

“There is an urgent need for the Senate to investigate the censorship done by Facebook considering that it affects not only the peace and order, and security of our country, but likewise greatly affects every Filipino’s freedom of expression as guaranteed by no less than the Philippine Constitution,” Dela Rosa said in his resolution.

Dela Rosa cited a provision in the 1987 Constitution and a Supreme Court decision guaranteeing and upholding freedom of speech, expression, and of the press.

Among the accounts and pages Facebook took down was Hands Off Our Children, branded as an advocacy page of parents whose children were allegedly recruited by communist rebels.

Others included “content supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte, criticism of Rappler online news website, issues relevant to overseas Filipino workers, military activities against terrorism, anti-terrorism law, criticism of communism, youth activist and opposition, posts against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military wing the New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF),” the document enumerated.

Dela Rosa said the “censorship campaign” on alleged child recruitment by communist rebels “could hamper the efforts to prevent the spread of violent extremism in the country.”

Citing “critics of the censorship,” the senator added that Facebook’s takedown did not include “pages and profiles allegedly supporting and promoting the violent activities and ideologies” of the CPP-NPA.

In September, Facebook removed two networks – one from the Philippines and another from China – for violating its policies on “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” Facebook said the Philippine network had links to the country’s military or police.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police both denied involvement in the networks Facebook took down.

However, the US-based The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) identified 3 soldiers of the Philippine Army as among operators of the pages that showed “inauthentic behavior.”

In the case of Hands Off Our Children, DFRLab said “it may be more closely linked to the Civil-Military Operations Regiment than it publicly lets on.”

Philippine military chief General Gilbert Gapay earlier asked Facebook to restore the pages of “advocacy groups,” specifically Hands Off Our Children.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, September 28, threatened to ban Facebook in the Philippines.

“Facebook, listen to me. We allow you to operate here hoping that you could help us also. Now if government cannot espouse or advocate something which is for the good of the people, then what is your purpose here in my country?” Duterte said during a televised address.

Dela Rosa is Duterte’s close ally, having been the police chief who spearheaded the President’s drug war. He is an alumnus of the Philippine Military Academy, as are many of the country’s military and police generals and senior officers. – Rappler.com