The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called on Congress to pass measures decriminalizing libel and cyberlibel, saying these laws have “long undermined freedom of expression, weakened press freedom, and enabled legal harassment against journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens.”
The commission stressed that criminal provisions in the Revised Penal Code and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 “have been weaponized… to silence critics and hinder public discourse.”
It added, “The CHR underscores that restrictions on expression must be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.”
Advocates of press freedom have long argued that libel penalties are outdated and violate civil and political rights, noting that civil liabilities such as fines and damages can sufficiently address defamation.
CHR recommended amending Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code and Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act “to remove imprisonment as a penalty for libel and cyberlibel while retaining the imposition of civil liability for proven defamatory statements to ensure that remedies for reputational damage remain.”
It also proposed proportionate civil sanctions, including compensatory damages, and urged training for judges, prosecutors, and law enforcers on a rights-based approach to defamation.
The commission emphasized that media workers, social advocates, and human rights defenders must be protected from retaliatory suits and legal harassment.
It also urged Congress to prioritize pending bills in the 20th Congress, including House Bill Nos. 1188, 441, and 6187, as well as Senate Bill Nos. 810, 476, and 250—all of which remain at the committee level.