‘No personal quest of mine’ says Pullicino Orlando on cyber bullying campaign

The former Nationalist MP who has been a regular target of poison-pen blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia has denied his latest campaign has anything to do with him being one of the Malta Independent columnist's 'favourite targets'.

A few weeks ago, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando launched an online petition calling on people to take a stand against cyber-bullying, through the Anti-Cyberharassment Alliance. The alliance, fronted by Labour MP Deborah Schembri, includes former Nationalist MP Jesmond Mugliett, Labour MEP Joseph Cuschieri, Labour candidate and family psychotherapist Charles Azzopardi, MCAST chairman Silvio Debono and IT teacher Keith Cutajar.

Today, the alliance held its first public event during which it launched its website www.achamalta.com and called on the public to join in the fight against cyber bullying, harassment and stalking. The group said it was hoping that by the beginning of next year it would be in a position to put forward amendments to the current legislation.

Fielding questions from the press, Pullicino Orlando denied his interest in the issue was personal.

"I have faced this criticism in almost every campaign I fronted - whether it was about the cement factory, divorce or gay rights. What I can say is that all campaigns I led have been successful," Pullicino Orlando added.

Schembri, who together with Pullicino Orlando fronted the successful divorce campaign, insisted that it was time "to rise above this pettiness".

"This is about an alliance not an individual and the matter shouldn't be trivialised this way. Victims of cyber bullying are countless and we cannot just sit back without doing anything. It will be damaging if this campaign is reduced to a particular instance or a particular person... it will be a disservice to the children, to those who lost their job because of cyber harassment and to the country," she said.

Schembri said all members of the alliance felt strongly about the issue, especially since the current legislation "was not effective" in terms of taking immediate steps against the perpetrator.

"It is important to understand that anyone can be a victim of cyberbullying and has nothing to do with age, race or social status. Today, vulnerable persons can be an easy target without even setting foot outside their homes," she said.

Schembri added that society could no longer remain oblivious to this reality and their goal was to set the issue high on the country's agenda. Their action plan includes meeting the Minister for Education and the Opposition's spokesperson for education, constituted bodies and stakeholders and organise a seminar.

From feedback it has collected, the alliance will draw up a draft policy that will be presented to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Their goal is to present amendments to the existing legislation "which lacks the user-friendliness which the average man in the street can revert to".

Schembri said that part of the problem was that measures arising from legislation could not be implemented immediately, like immediately taking down a comment from the Internet.

Charles Azzopardi said he knew of children in Malta who attempted suicide because they were harassed and of adults who cut off all social contact because they do not who "their enemy is".

"Bullying instils fear and in the case of cyberbullying, the victim sometimes wouldn't even know who their enemy is. And there is nothing worse than not knowing who your enemy is," he said.

Azzopardi also urged parents to stop taking pictures of their children and posting them online as this increased the chances of their children being targets - not only by children but by adults as well.