AFP says Gapay based his comment on regulating social media on Marawi siege

August 5, 2020

The Armed Forces of the Philippines  (AFP) explained that the statement of AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay about regulating social media is based on the experience of the military during the 2017 Marawi siege.

"By 'regulating' Lt. Gen. Gapay means putting the use of SocMed to order i.e. ensuring that the terrorists will not be able to use it as a convenient but very potent means to advance the ends of terrorism, recruit new members, and generate financial, logistical, and material support," Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson said.

"The end view is to prevent the suffering of our people in terms of countless deaths, serious bodily injuries, massive destruction of vital government infrastructures, public and private properties caused by terrorism and violent extremism," he said.

Gapay, said Arevalo, was talking about the military's experience in Marawi as that has been the lessons of other countries’ around the world in their own campaigns against terrorism.

In a press conference, after his assumption as the AFP chief of staff, Gapay said he wants a provision to regulate social media be included in the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Arevalo assures that the military "will not curtail and instead protect the people’s right to free speech, assembly, and redress of grievances as enshrined in the Constitution."

"But if he is to give this as an input to the IRR being crafted, he does so while aware that the AFP is just one among other agencies to be consulted and his view is subject to constitutional limitations, existing laws, and regulations," Arevalo said. Robina Asido/DMS