Biyernes, Setyembre 2, 2011

Can we create our own version of wikileaks.org and post therein anomalies of the government or corporations?

Today, we place so much value on the freedom of expression. With the advancement of information technology, it is very convenient and accessible for us to exercise this right. But coupled with this freedom is the ethical responsibility to uphold the other's right to privacy and balance such right to public interest.
 
Is Wikileaks.org the right venue to exercise our right to freedom of expression and the right of the people to public information? 
 
Yes, like any other form of media, Wikileaks is useful for an informed public. Anomalies in the government such as graft and corruption, dirty politics, and the like deserve much attention from the public. We just cannot turn blind eye to these anomalies which worsen the economic and political condition of our country. Public officials involved in these wrongdoings should have to be accountable for their actions. Strict enforcement of privacy laws against Wikileaks is detrimental to democracy and transparency. By exposing the anomalies therein, we are making the people concerned to pay for their acts and omissions. As social networking sites have become more popular to the public, Wikileaks would more so be a useful tool to help the public become more assertive and aware of their rights. There is a material public interest in knowing these anomalies and transparency demands it. The use of Wikileaks will reveal how our government officials have been dishonest in the public affairs. The people have the right to know and to take action. We cannot go back to the colonial or dictatorial times when people who make negative reports of persons in power are punished. The democracy we regained should be exercised and enjoyed rather than remain to be an ideal. By publication in the Wikileaks, we are serving the public interest not just the public curiosity. The people involved in these anomalies cannot use as shield privacy laws in order to evade the consequences of their acts. We should not give them the right to manipulate their power in the government and raise the privilege of confidentiality or invoke the right to privacy when they are called to answer for their wrong doings.
 
The use of Wikileaks.org is not to advocate the eradication of privacy laws. This even strengthens our privacy guidelines and calls for the implementation of security and control measures. The anomalies to be exposed should have basis, is genuine and should not be hearsay. To justify publication, there must be a corresponding duty on the part of the person exposing to verify the leaked information as to its reliability in order to minimize the harm it may cause. The sensitive material should not be exposed unlimitedly so as to breach official secrets which might threaten our national security. There must be a balance between the risks and the extent of public interest served by publication. While I do subscribe to the idea that we can create our own version of Wikileaks.org and post therein anomalies of the government or corporations, this must be with careful ethical consideration. Just like any other rights and civil liberties, the use of Wikileaks as part of our freedom of expression should be controlled and regulated. The freedom of expression, right to information, and privacy laws should not override one another. There is no superiority or hierarchy as to the exercise of these rights. Instead, it should be complemented. After all, these rights have the uniform goal of serving the public.
 
 

Walang komento:

Mag-post ng isang Komento