Latest news with #ArleneBrosas
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
DICT says it does not actively monitor online red-tagging
Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas questions DICT Sec. Henry Aguda on online red-tagging, which he said the department does not monitor, on June 5, 2025. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) does not actively monitor online red-tagging, a practice of vilifying and deploying guilt by association by labeling critics of the government, including opposition lawmakers, as communist rebels, if not terrorists. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), which is under DICT, has yet to establish any guidelines in place to identify red-tagging posts and threats. 'The CICC has a threat monitoring center, but right now, we don't have a strict monitoring on that one [red-tagging],' Aguda said during the House TriCom probe into the proliferation of false information online. 'If we're given guidelines and monitoring, we will include it in the threat monitoring center. And if it's mandated by Congress to act on it, we will act on it immediately po,' he added. Gabriela Party-List Representative Arlene Brosas then said that red-tagging is also a form of peddling false and harmful information, as a Supreme Court decision already defines red-tagging as a threat to life and liberty in 'the act of labeling individuals or organizations as subversives or terrorists, regardless of their actual political beliefs and affiliations.' Likewise, Brosas said the same Supreme Court ruling also states that red-tagging 'is a type of harassment that has pernicious effects on its targets.' 'Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda defines red tagging, vilification, labeling, and guilt by associatio as acts that threaten a person's constitutional right to life, liberty, and security, which may justify the issuance of a rate of amparo [protection]. It means, it is really a form of disinformation and human rights violations that we need to address and taken seriously,' she said. Aguda then said that CICC's priority is monitoring illegal gambling, financial scams, where there are clear guidelines on which posts need to be taken down. 'We don't have any guidelines yet on red tagging, so it's hard for us to monitor all the news except for ones wherein the posts gets flagged [by others] or because there is a certain violation, then we coordinate with the [social media] platform immediately,' Aguda said. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
House Bill making AICS 'permanent' approved on final reading
The House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill making the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) a permanent program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on third and final reading late Wednesday night. This happened as all 176 House members voted yes for the passage of House Bill 11395 on An Act Institutionalizing the AICS Program. House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list, who voted yes with reservations on the measure, said making the AICS program permanent is "necessary" but should not be used by public officials to promote themselves. "We recognize that it is the mandate of the State to provide adequate assistance, social services, projects, and programs geared towards alleviating poverty and improving the quality of life of Filipinos. Sa harap ng hindi maampat-ampat na presyo ng mga bilihin at bayarin, mataas na inflation rate (In the face of unsustainable prices of goods and services, high inflation rate)... The need for an immediate economic relief will always be there," Brosas said. "Hindi natin kinukuwestiyon ang pangangailangan ng mga mamamayan para sa agarang tulong (We do not question the citizens' need for immediate assistance.)... Rather, we are particularly worried about those who are in the position to provide assistance, but takes it as an opportunity to forward their personal and political interests," Brosas added. Brosas said that government policies should not promote political patronage and mendicancy but instead emphasize that government assistance is funded by the taxpayers' money. "As legislators and as public servants, let us be true to our mandate to put forward measures that will alleviate poverty and address the deepening inequality in our country towards genuinely raising the quality of life of Filipinos," Brosas said. Latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 63% self-rated poverty among Filipinos, the highest in 21 years. The same poll showed that involuntary hunger among Filipino families, on the other hand, doubled to 7.5 million in March 2025 from 2.9 million from June 2022. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
House approves P200 increase in minimum wage
The House approved the measure with 171 yes votes, one no vote, and zero abstentions during Wednesday's plenary session. The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved the bill on its third and final reading, granting a P200 increase in the daily minimum wage for workers in the private sector. The House approved the measure with 171 yes votes, one no vote, and zero abstentions during Wednesday's plenary session. House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela party-list said the increase, which would be the first in 36 years, was something that workers have long deserved. 'Now is the time to finally break the long years of legislative inaction. Bagama't kapos ang P200 na umento para abutin ang nakabubuhay na sahod, signipikanteng hakbang na ang pagpasa nito para iusad ang usapin ng sahod sa bulwagang ito,' Brosas, one of the authors of the measure," Brosas said. 'Kailangang ituloy-ituloy ang pagpasa dito hanggang pirmahan ito ng Pangulo,' she added. Cavite Rep. Jolo Revilla, also an author of the measure, said the increase will be followed by similar measures that will alleviate the plight of the workers. "This is just the beginning of uplifting the lives of our people," Revilla said. The House version of the legislated wage hike offers a higher increase than the P100 approved by the Senate. The House and the Senate will have to reconcile the differences in a bicameral conference committee before transmitting the enrolled bill to Malacañang for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s signature to become a law. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
26-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
House inquiry on over 1,000 alleged election-related anomalies sought
An inquiry on 1,593 alleged election-related anomalies during the conduct of the May 12, 2025 midterm polls has been sought in the House of Representatives. Makabayan bloc lawmakers House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel made the call under House Resolution 2291. They said the supposed anomalies were documented by several election watchdogs such as Kontra Daya, VoteReportPH, National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) and the Computer Professionals Union. The alleged anomalies include 798 cases involving issues with the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs), 200 cases of illegal campaigning, 144 cases of voter disenfranchisement, and 451 other significant election violations including non-compliance by Board of Election Inspectors, red-tagging, election-related violence and harassment, vote-buying and -selling, tampering of ballots, disinformation, among others. Likewise, the lawmakers said that the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS) used for overseas voting lacked a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), potentially violating Section 6(e) of the Automated Election System law, and disenfranchising voters who could not verify their votes resulting in historically low voter turnout in some overseas regions. 'Beyond technical issues and voter disenfranchisement on election day itself, there have been other election-related issues before, during, and after the elections that have marred the integrity and credibility of the election results,' the resolution read. In addition, the lawmakers also called out the software version certified by Pro V&V, Inc. v3.4.0 version which was different from the v3.5.0 version installed on ACMs on election day, as well as the initial five million duplicate votes that affected 15,000 precincts and rankings of more than 7,600 candidates later corrected by Comelecby manually providing corrected files hours after transmission started. 'We believe that an investigation should be pursued, and that all persons or agencies that are proven to be complicit must be held accountable for disenfranchising and invalidating the votes and democratic aspirations of millions of Filipino voters,' Kabataan party-list added in a separate statement. In response, Commission on Elections spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said the poll body stands ready to defend the successful conduct of the 2025 elections. "Comelec is ready to appear before Congress if and when called upon to lay down facts and showcase the milestones of the most successful, fastest-ever in counting, and transmission of votes, canvassing and proclamations, most peaceful electoral exercise, highest-ever voter turn-out national and local elections in numbers," he said in a statement. —AOL, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
