A human rights watchdog advised the new Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay to start in his backyard if he wants to regulate social media using the anti-terror law.

Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay noted how military officials resort to red-tagging activists and journalists through social media platforms.

“If the military really wants to ’regulate’ social media use against terrorism, they should start by sanctioning their own men who, through their own social media accounts, have publicly and rabidly accused journalists of beings linked to ‘terrorists’ for reporting on human rights groups and civil society organizations,” she said.

Palabay added regulating social media to counter terrorist activities goes against the constitution.

Gapay said the military should capitalize on the anti-terror law by including social media regulations with the Department of Justice (DOJ) already drafting its implementing rules and regulations.

But Palabay disagreed with Gapay describing the proposal tantamount to censorship.

“The government, its military and police do not have any moral authority to regulate the use of social media under the guise of counterterrorism,” she said.

“They have repeatedly weaponized social media to proliferate blatant and dangerous fabrications against activists and critics through red-tagging,” Palabay added.