Sen. Risa Hontiveros Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España
MANILA, Philippines — On the same day that journalist Frank Cimatu was convicted of cyber libel, Senator Risa Hontiveros announced on Tuesday that she filed a bill decriminalizing libel.
Senate Bill Number 1593 would be known as the “Decriminalization of Libel Act,” and it would repeal several articles of the Revised Penal Code referring to libel. It would also repeal the “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.”
“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 a statement.
Hontiveros also pointed to the case of Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa and former colleague Reynold Santos as examples of how libel laws are abused in the country.
READ: Rappler CEO appeals CA ruling on cyber libel case
“These journalists have wasted years of their lives facing charges for basically doing their jobs. 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,” Hontiveros said.
(These journalists have wasted years of their lives facing charges for basically doing their jobs. Cyber libel has been used to silence journalists. If we do not correct this, cyber libel can continue to chip away our freedom).
The bill also pointed to how private citizens have clogged court dockets, pointing to smaller cases such as restaurants litigating against patrons who left unpleasant reviews. She said that “contributes to the overburdening of both the executive and judicial branches and the draining of their respective resources.”
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