CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY ― The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is calling on Congress to decisively advance measures decriminalizing libel and cyberlibel, arguing that prison penalties have long been used to harass journalists and silence ordinary citizens.
In an emailed advisory today, Feb. 2, CHR zeroed in on the Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) cases and “weaponization” of Philippine laws.
“It affects the ability of every Filipino to speak, participate, and hold power to account,” the commission’s advisory reads in part.
The commission highlighted several bills in the 20th Congress that seek to replace jail time with civil remedies:
House of Representatives: Measures include House Bill No. 1188 (Rep. Brian Poe Llamanzares), House Bill No. 441 (Reps. Antonio Tinio and Renee Co), and House Bill No. 6187 (Reps. Rufus and Maximo Rodriguez).
Senate: Proposed reforms include Senate Bill No. 810 (Sen. Loren Legarda), Senate Bill No. 476 (Sen. Jinggoy Estrada), and Senate Bill No. 250 (Sen. Erwin Tulfo).
The CHR recommends amending Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act to remove imprisonment while maintaining civil liability for proven defamation.
Other recommendations include human rights training for law enforcers, enhanced protections for media workers, and broader multi-stakeholder consultations.
