Just recently, our country was alarmed by numerous cyber crimes that involved our youth. Evidently, prostitution has already penetrated the information highway mainly because of the advances in computer related media/hardware (audio, video, P2P) which has become readily accessible to the majority of the population. These cyber-sex bars take advantage of abusing young Filipinos, mostly women, and sell them like hotcakes through the Internet. The services that are being offered by this illicit type of business to its ‘clients’ are undeniably unethical. It does not only exploit our youth, but also corrupts the minds of the people unscrupulously patronizing it.

Ethics is an area of philosophy that deals with man’s pursuit of the “good life”.

SMS for the blind!

It is unquestionable that technology improves the lives of many individuals. Short Messaging System (SMS) is being enhanced to allow people who are differently abled to enjoy the benefits of communication through SMS texting. College students from De la Salle University developed a gadget that would convert text messaging into Braille. These young Filipino students have helped the blind to experience the “good life”, the joy and convenience that we are all having from our cellphones. ‘Galing ng Pinoy!

Ethics deals with the basic principles of right action especially with reference to a particular person, profession, and others.

With all the political controversies that are besetting our country nowadays, one cannot help but express disbeliefs and frustrations on how our economy is being affected by these social events. The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) has its pool of journalists who freely express their ideas on different issues. Specializing in investigative reporting, PCIJ also daringly expresses its views regarding the Gloria-Gate Scandal. PCIJ is one of the first in media in the country that exposes the transcripts and audio of the controversial wiretapped conversation between politicians, specifically PGMA, and former commissioner Garcilliano.

This kind of exposé is considered by some as something that goes up against the country’s current administration. Because of this, the website of PCJI was hacked yesterday. The culprit is already known but the purpose of breaching the website is still not identified. What the hacker did is actually unethical since it purposely halts the business of PCIJ and it also indirectly suppresses the so-called “freedom of the press“.

Hello… It’s me, Gloria. :)

Medical Ethics: an Applied Ethics

“Ethics, as a concept, suggests the notion of correct or incorrect practices relative to various concerns or fields of study.”

History performs a major role in the evolution of Medical Ethics today. Due to various abuses and medical malpractices committed from the past, specifically during the Nazi rule in WW II period, people from different professions like physicians and lawyers, among others, have come up with various medical standards to ensure that no rights will be violated and no life will be destroyed.

Let me bring you back in time…

During the time of Hippocrates (460 BC), the father of Modern Medicine, the understanding about medicine has already been made. Symptoms and cures for some diseases have already been identified by Hippocrates. He has also created an Oath of Medicine Ethics for health care providers. Protecting the life of patients and refraining from misbehavior and corruption are some of the features in his oath.

The first medical ethics adopted by an association of medical professionals in America is the Percivalian Code. Tomas Percival (1740-1804) mainly stated that physicians should have moral responsibilities to their parents.

The AMA Code of Ethics (1864) was developed based on the Percivalian Code. The current version of this code (2001) emphasizes the respect to patients and the responsibility to improve the community, among others.

Because of the medical experiments on humans performed by Nazi doctors during WW II, the Nuremberg Code (1974) provides measures in ethics of medical research, taking significant considerations on the welfare of every human being.

The Declaration of Geneva (1948) is another oath created to ensure that malpractices committed during the WW II will not happen again. Service to humanity, practicing medicine without any kind of discriminations and upholding self dignity are the key features of this code.

Finally, the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) document also addresses the unethical medical practices during the Nazi rule, thus, the 2000 version of the document states that “well-being of the human subject should take precedence over the interest of science and society.”

The very first medical ethics created by Hippocrates already implied the importance of life of individuals, and thus, it must be cared for with respect, even the life of the unborn. I believe that Medical Ethics serves as one of the vital if not the most important ethics made by man. This ethics aims to preserve life and ensures respect for the rights of every individual to be treated fairly and with dignity.

“Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13)

References:

E. Albacea, et al., Computer Ethics. UPOU. Philippines. 2003.

Altruis Biomedical Network. [Online]. Available: http://www.e-medical-ethics.com/

Guilty as Charged?

Case Background:
Rona belongs to community A where no law prohibits the reproduction (without the permission of the owner) and trading of intellectual property like computer software, and the like. Jojo, on the other hand, belongs to community B where a law on infringement of intellectual property rights is being enforced. One day, Rona visits Jojo in his home. Unaware of community B's law on intellectual property, Rona copies computer software designed by Jojo without the latter's consent and even reproduces the same in voluminous quantity (with the intention to sell the material in community A). As expected, Jojo gets angry with Rona and files a case against her for transgressing the law of community B. The case is to be tried on neutral territory, with me assigned as judge. What would be my judgment?


Some say that what is unethical to one may not be unethical to another. However, life is being governed by rules on morality in which individuals must abide in one way or another. Maybe, for Rona, there is nothing wrong on copying Jojo’s work since such act is not being prohibited in her community. However, it is not normal to a person to copy someone’s work without getting permission to the owner. Though Rona is unaware of the laws in the community where Jojo lives, it is still not an excuse; and she should be held liable for what she did.

The case filed is not just about laws in their respective community. Community laws are not only the factors to be considered to tell if Rona is guilty or not. Rona took advantage of the absence of Jojo and what she actually committed was not just stealing somebody’s intellectual property. What she did was actually an act of dishonesty that naturally loses Jojo's trust on her. And with these, Rona is guilty as charged!

Ethical or unethical: In My Own Opinion

When can we actually say that an act is ethical or unethical? Should we base it according to the laws created by men (i.e. our constitution)? Is it always right to say that using contraceptives is unethical and therefore should be prohibited? In my personal point of view, I consider an act ethical when it conforms to my own understanding of what is moral and immoral. My moral standards are basically the product of the kind of upbringing that my parents have done to me and the things that I have learned in school and from my peers. The society where I am living also dictates what is ethical and unethical. For instance, growing up in a Christian community, philandering is considered unlawful. However, in a Muslim society, having more than one wife is just normal. Ultimately, being a Christian and recognizing God as the Supreme Being, any act that is not bounded by the laws of god is definitely unethical~