One of the first legislations that Liberal Party senatoriable Alexander “Alex” Lacson will pursue if he is elected senator on May 10 is to expand the coverage of libel law so as to prevent malicious articles to spread in the Internet like the proliferation of the fake psychiatric report linked to Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III.

The brouhaha created by the emails alleging Aquino as mentally ill has prompted Lacson to propose stiffer penalties against those who write libelous or malicious articles that are uploaded online with the intention to malign a person’s integrity.

Lacson said Aquino is just the latest victim of online pranksters and irresponsible bloggers who simply upload any materials regardless of their veracity. He said he wanted to amend the law that has long been silent on the exact penalty or punishment imposed on the uploading or distribution online of fake documents.

"Our criminal laws were written way before the onset of the Internet and did not anticipate the technological advances that make easy the passing along and copying of fake documents or information. We need to strengthen this aspect, especially since the Internet also makes it easy for perpetrators to cover their tracks,” he said.