In his privilege speech before the City Council on Tuesday, September 22, Dayanghirang said he supports measures against scams, cybercrime, misinformation, harmful content, and online threats, but stressed that a blanket ban on Facebook would also affect legitimate users.
He noted that Facebook has become part of everyday life for many Filipinos, serving as a platform for communication, small businesses, employment, information sharing, community organizing, and public participation.
Dayanghirang also pointed to constitutional protections on freedom of speech and expression, the right to information, and privacy of communication, saying restrictions on these rights must have a legal basis and observe due process.
He cited existing laws, including the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Data Privacy Act, as legal frameworks that can be used to address various forms of online abuse.
Instead of an outright ban, Dayanghirang said authorities should determine the specific violation, identify those responsible, apply the appropriate law and remedy, and assess whether a nationwide restriction is necessary and proportionate.
“If a scammer commits fraud, prosecute the scammer. If illegal content is identified, require its removal through lawful procedures. If Meta violates Philippine law, impose the appropriate sanctions. If existing laws are inadequate, strengthen them,” he said. SoutheastAsians & Pacific Islanders
Dayanghirang further called for stronger child protection, digital literacy and cybersecurity measures while ensuring that Filipinos who rely on social media for communication, livelihood, education and civic participation are not unnecessarily disconnected.
“The answer to abuse is accountability. The answer to cybercrime is enforcement. The answer to harmful content is effective regulation—not automatically the removal of an entire communication platform from the people,” he said.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang
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