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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Hontiveros files bill decriminalizing libel: 'We need to defend press freedom'

Hontiveros files bill decriminalizing libel: 'We need to defend press freedom'

Published Dec 13, 2022 04:35 pm

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, December 13 announced she has filed a bill to decriminalize libel, citing how current libel laws have been used and abused to suppress press freedom.

“Our libel laws have been weaponized to stifle very basic fundamental rights. These laws have been used to constantly attack many of our freedoms, but particularly the freedom of the press. We need to decriminalize libel if we are to truly defend press freedom,” Hontiveros said in pushing for Senate Bill No. 1593.

Incidentally, Hontiveros cited how a Quezon City court has just convicted journalist Frank Cimatu, for cyberlibel for a 2017 Facebook post about former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol.

The senator also noted how cyberlibel was also repeatedly used against Nobel laureate Maria Ressa for her work in Rappler. In 2020, Ressa and former colleague Reynaldo Santos were convicted for cyber libel.

But in July 2022, the Court of Appeals rejected Ressa and Santos's appeals, and again rejected their motion for reconsideration on October.

“These journalists have wasted years of their lives facing charges for basically doing their jobs,” she said.

“Gamit na gamit na ang cyber libel para patahimikin ang ating mga mamamahayag. Kung hindi natin maiwasto ito, patuloy na gagamitin ang libel para kitilin ang ating kalayaan (Cyber ​​libel has been used to silence our journalists. If we cannot correct this, libel will continue to be used to take away our freedom),” Hontiveros said.

The senator noted that the rise and prevalence of social media as a primary medium of communication has led to the further weaponization of libel laws against the press and active citizenship.

She also said that the barrage of cyberlibel cases only resulted in the clogging at court dockets.

“Trabaho ng mga reporter ang magbahagi ng mga impormasyon para sa kaalaman ng publiko (It is the job of reporters to share information for public knowledge). We need the press to vet information and continue to be the safekeepers of facts,” Hontiveros said.

“If we fail to do so, if we allow our laws to punish rather than protect the press, we chip away at our Constitutional rights. This will cost us our democracy,” she pointed out.

Related Tags

Risa Hontiveros decriminalizing libel libel and cyberlibel charge
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