MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has recommended the amendment of certain provisions under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to remove imprisonment as penalty to decriminalize libel and cyber-libel.
CHR Chairman Richard Palpal-latoc said Congress must act decisively in advancing measures that seek to decriminalize libel and cyber-libel.
“Prison penalties for defamation have long undermined freedom of expression, weakened press freedom, and enabled legal harassment against journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens,” Palpal-latoc said in a statement emailed to The Manila Times.
In particular, the CHR chief said lawmakers must consider amending Article 355 of RPC the Revised Penal Code and Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Law to remove imprisonment as a penalty for libel and cyber libel.
However, the commission believed that there was a need to retain the imposition of civil liability for proven defamatory statements, ensuring that remedies for reputational damage remain; adopting civil remedies for defamation; providing human rights–based training for law enforcers and the judiciary; enhancing protections for media workers and human rights defenders; and facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations to revisit defamation laws.
In its human rights advisory, the agency noted that criminal libel provisions under the two existing laws have been repeatedly weaponized, often through strategic lawsuits against public participation, to silence critics and hinder public discourse.
It also cited prominent cases involving journalists facing cyber libel charges and the broader chilling effect on investigative reporting and citizen speech.