by Evangeline de Vera
The Supreme Court is set to come out before the weekend with an administrative circular wherein a judge in libel cases may rule for payment of a fine instead of imprisonment.
Chief Justice Reynato Puno yesterday said after inducting officers and members of the Financial Executives Institute that the circular will be an “interim measure.”
Puno said the circular should not be mistaken for a bill decriminalizing libel which is pending in Congress because the guidelines simply direct judges to prefer the payment of fines instead of imprisonment in case of a conviction.
Puno said the Court decided to come up with such a circular after reviewing libel cases and finding out that some were committed “with honest intention.”
In a draft circular obtained by reporters, the SC said judges should bear in mind that the circular “does not remove imprisonment as an alternative penalty for the crime of libel.”
It stated that the judges may, “taking into consideration the peculiar circumstances of each case, determine whether the imposition of a fine alone would best serve the interests of justice or whether forbearing to impose imprisonment would depreciate the seriousness of the offense, work violence on the social order, or otherwise be contrary to the imperatives of justice.”
The Court further stated that should only a fine be imposed and the accused be unable to pay the fine, there is no legal obstacle to the application of the RPC provisions on subsidiary imprisonment.
Senate Bill 1403 proposes to decriminalize libel and makes it punishable only by a fine ranging from P200 to P6,000, in addition to the civil action which may be initiated by the offended party.
The bill was authored by Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Aquilino Pimentel and Loren Legarda and endorsed by the committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Sen. Francis Escudero at the opening of the 14th Congress July last year.
In criminal libel, a convicted person faces up to six years in prison and a fine of up to P6,000.
Estrada has said the crime of libel has been abused by influential people, especially in government, as a tool of repression.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has said the libel law has been abused and exploited to harass media practitioners, tramples on the basic rights to a free press and to free expression and opens the door to abuse of authority.
The media groups cited First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s filing of libel cases against 46 journalists since 2003. Arroyo asked his lawyers to drop all the cases in May last year.
A hurdle to overcome: the law on libel must be changed first, shouldn’t it before SC could interpret the law according to their desiderata…
Malabo pa! I’ll wait for the bill decriminalizing libel.
bakit “fine” como ang mga na habla ay mayayaman..kayang kaya nila ang magbayad..Take the case of Mike Arroyo..honest intention ang pag habla niya sa mga journalists? and if found guilty bayaran niya (pera na naman ang pag uusapan? ) not everything can be bought…para sa akin handcuff him and put him to jail..with armed guards at the door? and get a video to record how he spends the hours in his cell..kung nagbabasa ng bible..so be it.. kung puede lang pati ang paa niya itali din (what is the term to use…foot cuff? “footage him? show the whole world that there is justice in the Phil. that can not be bought with money…
anong say mo Mr. Death of Justice Secretary..nabasa mo ba ang sabi ni John the Baptist..Repent! repent indeed for your kingdom is coming to an end….Feb. 9?
Kaya lalong nasisira ang imahe ng law profession sa Pilipinas dahil sa mga gunggong tulad ni Gunggongsalez. Senator Roxas just made a revelation saying the DOJ is the padrino of oil smugglers. Kapag sinabing DOJ, sino pa kundi si Gunggongsalez. Kung hindi man siya derektang sangkot, siguradong alam niya at may basbas niya. And do you know that DOJ is surrounded by corrupt Atenean lawyers called “DOJ Mafia”? Kapag mga abogadong galing sa Ateneo (no offense to other decent ones), siyempre identified with Mike Arroyo and Nani Perez. In the case of Perez, he may be long gone from DOJ, but his influence and connection are still strong.
In fairness to the law profession in the Philippines as a whole, may mga matitinong mga grupo at abogado din naman. Kahit masama ang reputation ng lawyers ngayon ay dahil sa greed. Hindi lang naman sa atin kahit sa ibang bansa. I once heard one lawyer said: Every lawyer is going to the office today to commit fraud. Biro man o hindi, may katotohanan ang sinabi niya. Because if you’re taught how to manipulate rules and laws, you lose respect and that leads to arrogance. You think you’re bigger than the rules.
Ka BB, wala na akong tiwala sa ating Hustisya since 2001 pa. Selected few na lang ng ating mga lawyers ang pinaniniwalaan ko pero sa DOJ/Supreme Court/Sandigan ni GMA eh wala na silang moral ascendacy para paniwalaan.
Ang 2010 na lamang ang tanging pag-asa ng Masang Pilipino para muling ibalik ang tiwala sa ating Hustisya at kung muli nila itong paglalaruan eh WALA na talaga!
Ka BB tutal napag-uusapan natin ito eh medyo ilalim natin ang tumbok sa kabulukan ng ating gobyerno.
Tell me, ano bang institutions ng ating gov’t ang may moral ascendancy pa sa ngayon? Kahit nga ang religous sector eh masyado na rin napulitika? OFWs na lang ang neutral na sector sa ating lipunan, heto apektado na rin kaya marami na ang umaangal at nagiging radikal na rin ang pananaw sa ikapagbabago ng ating bansa.
Sobra na ang epekto ng pulitika sa buhay ng mga Pinoy at ang lahat eh gustong pumalaot na rin sa mundo ng maruming pulitika.
Pera pera na ang labanan upang ipanalo ang minimithing posisyon sa bayan.
Ang masasagot ko lang sa tanong mo comrade Balweg, may pera kasi sa pulitika sa atin. Parang nagpuhunan lang sa negosyo. Either you’re a celebrity, popular in showbiz or are backed my Taipans and rich people, malaki ang pag-asa mong manalo. Tapos, babawiin mo ang na-invest mo through pork barrels and other corrupt means. Alam mo ba sa pag-approve sa mga bills, kadalasan ang tinatanong ng mga pulitiko sa kanyang kapwa pulitiko…”Pare, meroon ba tayon diyan?” Hindi iyon kung makikinabang ang mga tao kundi kung may parte siya at magkano. That’s why I admire those like Lacson who did not use their pork barrel. Pero sino pa ang tulad niya? Many politicians become ones not necessarily because of making money but to protect their money and business. Iyan ang dahilan kung bakit may political dynasty. Maraming mga bagito na may gatas pa sa bibig pero pilit na pinasasabak sa pulitika ng mga magulang para lang maipagpatuloy ang pangalan nila. Isa pa ang mga religious groups. Bakit may mga representante sila sa Congress? of course to protect their church. Take El Shaddai for example, Bro. Mike’s son is a Congressman. Bakit nandoon…alam niyo na. The talk of the town these days is about political appointees. Isa sa mga mabibigat na backers ang mga taga-simbahan. Ang pinuno ng MRT at si Mel Robles na tauhan ni Bro. Mike at dati pa ngang Spokesman ng grupo nila. Wala akong masabi kay Rep. Joel Villanueva dahil masipag din ang batang ito at isa sa mga loyal na taga-opposition. But then, why is he there in Congress? Of course partly if not mainly to protect Jesus is Lord Movement. Kahit ang INC, wala man masyadong mga miyembro ang nasa pulitika (bawal yata sa kanila), may mga tauhan din tulad ng mga nasa LTO at BOC. Etong si BOC Deputy na si Templo yata isang miyembro. At isa din sa mga nominees sa Comelec si dating Erap DOJ Sec. Artemeo Tuquero. Is there a conflict of interest? You bet.
Hanga ako sa iyo ka BB, read mo ang mga nasaisip ko eh…yan din ang puna ko sa ating mga pulitiko at isama na nating yong ibang mga religious group.
Di talaga uunlad ang Pinas, at masyadong marumi ang pulitika sa ating bansa. Madalas namin napag-uusapan yan sa trabaho at may comments pa nga yong ibang kausap kong Pinoy, ang rason eh halos lahat daw ng nasakop ng Kastila eh grabe ang pamumulitika, like Latin American countries…ang gulo di ba. Isa daw ito na ipinamana ng mga Kastilaloy sa atin eh! Korek di ba.
Sa Tate walang mayaman o kaya maimpluwensiyang Kano, basta nagkasala sa batas eh ang parusa kulong o kaya community service, di ba.
Sa Pinas, pag maypera ka, padrino o kaya kinikilala sa lipunan…hay naku protektado sila ng batas. Yong mga known personalities na nakakulong sa ngayon eh kahiyaan lang yan kaya nakapiit sila pero tingnan mo ang mga buhay nila kumpleto ng gamit at de gwardiado pa. Eh sa labas maghire pa sila at dagdag gastos, pero sa selda eh may guard pa.
Kung pwede lang eh maging isang state ng Tate ang Pinas para lahat ng corrupt eh ibartolina. Salot sa lipunan at hadlang sa pag-unlad ng bayan.
It is true that libel needs to be decriminalized, but the current punishment is a fine or imprisonment, at the discretion of the judge. The Supreme Court is only directing the judges, that in the exercise of discretion, the judges should impose a fine and not imprisonment. It is also a subtle indication that should there be a sentence of imprisonment, upon appeal, the Supreme Court would reduce it to a fine.
This is actually a benefit to the media, because now, there would only be a fine imposed, as a means of punishment. The fine is 200 pesos to 6,000 pesos. I remember the anecdote about Rene Saguisag, where, he was cited in contempt, and fined 500 pesos by Judge Castro. Saguisag was supposed to have said, “May I say something more, I will just pay 500 pesos again..” or something to that effect.
Civil damages is still a matter of evidence. The fat slob will have to prove that he had a good reputation in the first place; that said “good reputation” was damaged.
This is an indication of the activist bent of the Supreme Court. Strike while the iron is hot; habang nandiyan pa si Puno. True, he was in the majority that declared the constructive resignation doctrine. But this may be a way to atone to the gods of history.
So based on the above, 2,000 pesos buys you the opportunity to “praise” the fat slob ten times.
I like our laws regarding this thing called “slander.” As I have mentioned in another loop, sa amin, iba ang defamation or the crime to inflict mental anguish, etc. that can constitute a crime, sa libel, which is nothing but tsismis that can be settled in a civil court.
Dapat talagang i-decriminalize ang libel lalo na kung gagamitin ng mga katulad ni Fatso na akala mo kung sino komo nakaupo ang misis niya na pinalilibreng mag-abuso. Wais daw sila. Pero sabi nga, “Tuso man daw ang matsing ay napalalangan din.” Hindi naman sila puedeng mag-abuso habangbuhay sa totoo lang. May araw lang sila. Depende nga lang sa kupad o bilis ng mga pilipino!
Balweg: Sa Tate walang mayaman o kaya maimpluwensiyang Kano, basta nagkasala sa batas eh ang parusa kulong o kaya community service, di ba.
*****
In principle, yes. Pero in most cases, depende sa kulay ng balat mo at kapal din ng bulsa mo!!! Iyon namang kaso ng mga sikat na nabibigyan ng community service lang, parang for publicity din lang iyon. 😛
Yuko,
“Sa Tate walang mayaman o kaya maimpluwensiyang Kano, basta nagkasala sa batas eh ang parusa kulong o kaya community service, di ba.”
Sana magdilang anghel ka — si Bush kailangan iharap sa justisya for war crimes.
Todits lang sa Ellenville kikita na sila sa libel. Lalo na kung may rate or tarriff per country of abode of each blogger. In this case there will be no discrimination as to the age factor. Kahit na over 70. Di sila kikita sa mga Rizal advocates and the likes. Biro lang, ha! Just to greet the morning sun happy birthday and everyone everyday.
Libel, Valdemar? Sinong tinutukoy mo? Puede silang magsampa ng libel suits kung gusto nila pero hindi nila mapapatunayang hindi nagsasabi ng totoo ang mga bloggers ditong kulung-kulo na ang dugo sa nakawan sa gobyerno ni Gloria Dorobo.
O sige, patunayan mo ngang hindi totoo ang Garci tapes, for example. Sa totoo lang inamin ni Gloria Dorobo iyan kaya nga siya nag-sorry kuno kahit na arte lang.
You bet, Anna. Ipinagdarasal kong mahuli si Bush at kasuhan ng crime against humanity. Marami nang nakahandang papeles and evidences as a matter of fact. Ayaw lang kasing mapahiya ng mga kano na gustung-gusto na ring makasuhan si Bush aka Dubya Hitler!
It is the rich and powerful who are mostly the victims of libel. Who usually talks about or criticizes a “nobody”? If one does, the nobody will just sleep it off and wake up the next day like nothing happened. However, it is those with a “reputation” (either good or bad-the more notorious ones tend to fight back more) who are mostly affected by this Supreme Court Ruling. Media people may be the most affected as well because of the exposes they have on the notorious characters. Dagdagan na lang ng allocations for paying off the fines. Then bumanat na lang ng banat. At least pera lang ang mawawala, hindi ang panahon na mawawala dahil sa pagkakakulong.
This ruling is actually very good for the media who have the goods on the notorious characters.
Do you still believe that the Supreme Court can still
do the country some good?
the last paragraph below is pertinent.
From ABS-CBN interactive:
“DND nullifies helicopter contract due to irregularities
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Friday ordered the nullification of the P1.2 billion ($296 million) contract awarded to Asian Aerospace Corp. for the procurement of six attack helicopters.
Teodoro said the contract has been nullified after an investigating committee discovered that the original specifications for the helicopters had been altered without his knowledge.”
Comment: this is the third time different newspapers had reported that $296 million equals P1.2 billion. At P41 to the $1, $296 million is equal to P12136 million or P12.136 billion. Or am I dumber than million of Pinoy readers, bloggers? 12.136 minus 1.2 equals P10. 936 billion. That makes for a million suckers.
,
The point? If you own the Philippines you can steal by the millions of US dollars and stash billions of pesos. You can buy royalty titles in England and Spain. You don’t even have to pay that much to buy Congress, the Bishops, and the Justices. Just appoint them, help them cheat in the elections, give them power and money for life and of course, a few loose change for the bishops. The wolves and vampires are not salivating for the presidency after 2010 day one. They want to own the Philippines.
FYI, the Hawaiian Airline is finally in operation in the Philippines. Expect the US to upgrade RP’s aviation. Back to normal. Tuloy ang ligaya. Blackmail? It looks like it…
Hanga talaga ako kay uncle Sam Ka BB, utak ang ginagamit at di gimmick o tsismis lamang.
Diyan sila expert, ang galing ng kanilang covert-action eh see tama ang news nitong nagdaang-araw, gusto lang nila na ipasok sa Pinas ang Hawaiian airline.
After this event, kakambio uli yang si uncle Sam na nakapagkomplay na ang Pinas kaya pasado. At ang masakit dito eh na setup yong sinibak sa NAIA di ba.
Magaling talaga sila sa covert-action, bakit kamo kasi eh almost ganito ang hibol ng isang pilotong British na may ilang ding panahon na nakahalobilo ko at minsan eh nagkwento, may mission siya somewhere sa Africa ang kaso nadali ng missiles ang jetfighter na dala niya at bumagsak, buti na lamang at love pa siya ni Lord kaya nakaligtas, hayon isa na siyang lingkod ng Lord.
My point eh, uncle Sam is willing to help but in another way eh kakabigan ka ng masmalaki sa naitulong nila. Tama ba ang analysis ko eh o malikot lang ang mind ko!
Sabi nga ni State Sec. Rice: The US has no permanent enemies. She went on to elaborate saying that the US even welcome cooperation with Iran and North Korea. Nasa panic mood ngayon ang US. Pati mga mababagsik na mga kaaway ng maraming taon medyo kinakaibigan na nila. Iyan ang napapala sa isang malaking bansang arogante at mapang-api ng maliliit. Now that the US is in recession (who shall dispute?), she now is soft to everyone including her enemies. Malapit na matapos ang paghahari ni Uncle Sam. Everything has an end.
Pagnangyari yan Ka BB, ang daming bansa na muling isisilang within USA. Di ba ganito ang nangyari sa USSR, eh ang daming bansa ang nagkaroon ng pagkakakilanlan.
History it will repeat again and again!
Balweg: Diyan sila expert, ang galing ng kanilang covert-action eh see tama ang news nitong nagdaang-araw, gusto lang nila na ipasok sa Pinas ang Hawaiian airline.
******
Kaya pala pumunta sa Pilipinas si Senator Inouye of Hawaii. Akala ko pa naman ipinadala ni Senator Barber para imbestigahan iyon mga kalokohan ng mga kano a Sulu. Iyon pala para sa negotiation ng pagkuha ng permit para sa Hawaiian Airlines. Ngeek!
Pasok na nga ang Hawaiian airline sa RP. Iyan ang dahilan kung bakit hindi na pinag-uusapan ang ATO scandal. Di ba na-downgrade ng US ang aviation ng RP at ipinagbawalan pa ang mga citizens na sumakay ng RP Flag Carrier. Ang dahilan pala inipit ang application license nila. Now that it has been approved, this thing is back to normal. The US plays double standard, double faced type of policies and treatment of other nations. Porke bagsak ang economy at may recession, pati sa North Korea at Iran medyo lumambot ngayon. What a hypocrite!
Kita nýo Ka BB/Grizzy, obvious talaga si uncle Sam pagnagtantrum….nagkagulo ang EK saglit at ipahiya ba naman ang ATO eh ofcourse character assination ito ng bansa.
Gusto lang palang ipasok ang Hawaain Airlines eh sisiraan pa ang NAIA, di raw safe pati yong PAL ni Lucio Tan eh kinabigan….tinakot pa mga Pinoyzki sa Tate na delikadong sumakay.
Ito ang gusto kong maunawaan ng mga kababayan nating Pinoy na pagbalibaligtarin mo mang ang Pinas eh hawak parin tayo ni uncle Sam. Sa kanila nakasandal ang Pinas in terms of many things, di ba!
Bakit kamo marami ang ayaw sa Tate, pero ang siste nito paki check lang kasi karamihan sa Pinoyzki ang suot sa katawan eh made in USA pero doon lang ginawa sa China mura kasi ang labor cost.
Sigaw dito sigaw doon pero ang iba diyan ay may green card pa o kaya pamilya sa Tate.
Off topic..
National (as of 1/26/2008 12:34 AM )
Arroyo’s stay in Dubai’s costliest hotel draws ire from OFWs
During her two-day visit to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, President Arroyo will be billeted not just in any hotel, but at the seven-star Burj Al-Arab, raising eyebrows among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau reported Friday.
The President will spend her two evenings in Burj Al Arab, a seven-star hotel said to be Dubai’s most expensive.
It is not known what type of room the President will occupy, but published rates in the Internet reveal that the most expensive room in Burj Al Arab is the Royal Suite, which costs US $10,900 or almost half a million pesos per overnight stay.
___
OMG, the most corrupt world leader Gloria Arroyo has not finished yet bankrupting Pinas!
Chi: Di ba copycat ito sa #1 jet-setter na naging pangulo ng Pinas, lakwatsa dito lakwatsa doon.
If this $10,900/nite x 2days = 21,800US$ ang dami nitong matutulungang squatters sa Kamaynilaan especially yong mga nasunugan at dinimolis ng MMDA.
Ang masakit nito eh winawaldas nila ang pera ni mang Juan at pagkatapos sasabihin wala daw budget para sa social services, naku po! Kilabutan kayo sa inyong mga pinag-gagagawa.
balweg,
I would like to call on the OFWs in Dubai to throw rotten tomatoes on Gloria’s waldas face. Mas mabuti kung ‘yun na nga!
The OFWs in Dubai should demonstrate in front of the hotel where GMA and her party stay covered by international media.
Balweg: Ito ang gusto kong maunawaan ng mga kababayan nating Pinoy na pagbalibaligtarin mo mang ang Pinas eh hawak parin tayo ni uncle Sam. Sa kanila nakasandal ang Pinas in terms of many things, di ba!
*****
Sinabi mo pa, Balweg. Pero kasalanan mas lalo iyan ng mga pilipino. Akala kasi nila kung magpapanggap silang nagpapaloko, marami silang masisisipsip sa mga Amerikano pero baligtad ang nangyari. Sila ang nahigop, di lang sipsip!
Kaya bilib ako sa mga Iranian sa tigas ng “No!” nila kay Bush. Bakit nga naman sila matatakot sa mga kano. Marami silang langis na kailangan ng mga kano.
Gago din kasi iyong mga Iraqis. Divide and rule ang ginawa ng mga kano patterned doon sa pagpapatakbo ng mga sumakop sa Pilipinas kaya hindi sila nakalaban. Hanggang ngayon struggling pa rin ang kanilang resistance kasi hindi pa rin sila magkasundo.
Akala ni Saddam kasi protektado pa rin siya ng mga CIA na tumulong sa kaniyang umakyat sa position niya despite the embargo noon. Parang si Marcos. Piniprito na ng buhay di pa nakakahalata. O di pareho silang natepok. At least, si Marcos, namatay ng natural death. Si Saddam, kundi lang nakatakas ang mga anak niyang babae, ubos na ang lahi niya. Tindi ng ngitngit ni Bush, the Christian na anti-Christ naman yata. Genocide na ang ginagawa sa Iraq, di pa rin tumitinag ang UN!
BB:
Gimmick ni Dorobo magbigay ng party para sa mga OFW na sabik na sabik naman na pumunta sa mga pakulo nila paid with taxpayers’ money. Problema kasi sa marami, mahilig rin kasi sa pagpapapelan. Iyan ang sinasabing mga deprived. Nawawalan ng self-esteem.
Talagang utak magnanakaw nga. Gustung makasingit doon sa limelight ni Bush na kabibisita lang sa Dubai. Talaga naman! Sabik sa publicity, hindi naman mabigyan ng libre kundi pa magbabayad. Buti pa nga si Trillanes, nako-cover ng CNN!
noong araw laging Made in USA ang hinahanap na tatak! Ayaw ng Made in Japan at inferior daw..a few years back marami akong nakikita na Made in the Phil..ngayon? made in China or Made in India..even Filipino businessmen go to China for the manufacture of their goods…labor is cheap now and they are for profits..na talo ng China ang Phil..it is sad that many do not have the national pride of being Pilipino..sa bagay na ito..maganda yon ginawa ni Imelda..Ako Ay Pilipino..Isang diwa..Isang Lahi…
grizzy: I agree with you..Bush just visited the Middle East and in less than a month si Goria naman.. medio copy cat dirty rat. Pero si Bush hindi sinasama ang familia..at ang mga apo at ang mga yaya…hindi namamasyal..only a few would accompany him..hindi nagchacharter ng plane..Air force One lang..and I have not heard of any Pres. of the US or the US businessmen with huge deposits in other countries..they support the economy (the big issue now) in the up coming election..At ang term niya ay hanggang 2008 lang…
I watched Comedy Central. Tawa ako ng tawa doon sa ipinakita ni Jon Stewart na kahawak ni Bush sa kamay na naglakad ang isang Emir. Wow!
It reminds me of a US exchange professor sa UP when I was a student there. Pinag-strike-an ng mga estudyante kasi namintas na marami raw tomboy at bakla sa UP kasi kung maglakad daw iyong mga babae at lalaki ay magkahawak kamay sa kabaro nila. sa US daw homo lang ang gumagawa noon.
Now, maliban sa siraulo, lasenggo, etc. naging bakla na rin ba si Bush?
O baka nainggit na naman si Dorobo at gusto ring maki-holding hands doon sa Sheik ng Dubai. Landi talaga!
Bantayan iyan si Gloria Dorobo. Dubai is tagged as the most progressive country of the future. Malay ninyo baka nagsa-survey na ang ungas ng personal investment financed with taxpayers’ money sa Dubai. Abangan iyan. Huwag tatanga-tanga!
GMA was not the first one who stayed at that Seven-Star hotel in Dubai. Nauna na noon si Mike Arroyo. Again, all the expenses were taken from the poor tax payers’ money. Sana mahulog mula sa pinakamataas na floor ng hotel si GMA…pagbagsak masagasaan ng limang malaking truck. Tapos kainin ng mga aso ang mga durog-durog niyang mga buto. Teka, may aso ba sa kalye sa Dubai. Kung wala, kahit na pusa okay na basta walang matitira sa ano mang parte ng katawan ni GMA.
Bobo talaga itong si Gloria Dorobo bragging about getting the Philippines with the world’s biggies in the short time that she can remain cheating and swindling Filipinos. Does she not realize that all those G countries in fact went through drastic and violent revolutions to get to where they are now?
The Philippines in fact has yet to get rid of any remnant of what everybody knows to be still a reality—colonial mentality. None of the G countries have been under foreign rule for centuries, and their people not maintaining their own peculiar identities despite borrowings from other countries as in the case of even the USA.
Gloria Dorobo, puede ba tumigil ka na ng kahibangan mo. Gaga!
Press statement:
Sen. Loren Legarda gladly received the Supreme Court circular discouraging trial judges from handing down prison sentences to journalists convicted of libel, and encouraging the bench to instead impose fines.
Legarda is author of Senate Bill 223, which seeks to abolish the penalty of imprisonment with respect to libel. Instead, the bill proposes to impose bigger fines to discourage the offense.
“While the penalty of a fine must be sustained, for no crime should go unpunished, the penalty of imprisonment has merely served to discourage members of the media from performing their duties with even greater zeal and vigilance,” Legarda said.
“Because of the threat of imprisonment, members of the media have been forced to approach their mandates with doubt and hesitation, instead of boldly probing deeper into issues potentially affecting public interest and the general welfare,” Legarda lamented.
“We cannot have this in a country where the media are supposed to be at the core of our freedom of speech and expression,” Legarda said.