Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III has said the decision whether or not to deport the overseas Filipino worker who allegedly committed cyber libel is up to the Taiwan authorities.
“Taiwan will decide whether to deport her or not. The decision is with the Taiwanese government. That is their sovereign power,” Bello said.
The Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Taichung, Taiwan had earlier sought the deportation of caregiver Elanel Egot Ordidor due to her alleged commission of the crime of cyber libel.
“We are constrained to act for the deportation of a Filipina working as caregiver in Taiwan for the crime of cyber libel for willful posting of nasty and malevolent materials against President Duterte on Facebook intended to cause hatred amidst the global health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said POLO Taichung Labor Attache Fidel Macauyag.
“It has come to our knowledge that Ms. Ordidor is using several social media accounts, among which are Lenale Elanel Egot, Mha Lan Dee, Linn Silawan, and Hampas Lupa and has a group organized to discredit and malign the President and destabilize the government,” he added.
Due to her alleged acts, Macauyag said POLO coordinated with her broker and employer on her deportation on the basis of the gravity of her offense under Philippine law.
He added that the sharing and posting of such videos are punishable under cyber libel in Republic Act No. 10175.
Bello said freedom of speech is always subject to limitations.
“Just like any other constitutional right, even freedom of speech is always subject to limitations. You should not come up with libelous statement and statement that are seditious. It has its limits,” he said.
“Our labor attache there said (being) seditious is another thing. You intend to make a statement to destabilize the government. That is another thing. It’s not only (a) crime versus the President, it’s a crime versus our government.” Bello added. (Leslie Aquino)
