We, journalists, artists, advocates, students and citizens, urge Congress to pass a bill decriminalizing libel in the Philippines.

Libel laws have been a weapon of choice by enemies of the truth. According to a 2023 study by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, 61.5 percent of the libel cases filed against 50 journalists between 2021 and 2023 were filed by politicians, often as retaliation against those who reported anomalies and corruption. 

Since Ferdinand Marcos Jr assumed the presidency, NUJP recorded 13 incidents of harassment involving libel and cyber libel cases.

Some of these cases were eventually dismissed for lack of merit, proving that these are clearly harassment suits meant not only to drain the resources of those accused but also to derail and frustrate public interest journalism.

Since the enactment of the Cybercrime Prevention Act which penalizes cyber libel, powerful politicians would file multiple counts of cyber libel in courts far away from the place of work of the accused. In one instance, 941 counts of libel were filed before a Pasay City local court against journalists based in Quezon province.

Recently, local government officials filed cyber libel charges before Capiz, Manila and Muntinlupa courts against Roxas City-based Baskog Radyo staff members. The local radio station aired reports on several anomalies involving local politicians. 

Ordinary citizens voicing out legitimate criticisms are also targeted, such as food heritage advocate John Sherwin Felix who was sued for pointing out inaccuracies in a book published by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Fortunately, the Makati City Prosecutor recently dismissed, citing insufficient evidence.

The country’s libel laws are inconsistent with international human rights instruments signed by the Philippine government. 

UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, Irene Khan, in her June 2025 final report following her visit to the Philippines, declared, “Criminal libel and laws criminalizing the criticism of State institutions and officials have no place in modern democratic societies.”

Khan called on the Philippine government to decriminalize libel. Doing so, she said, “would demonstrate that the Government is committed to protecting an open and inclusive space where individuals and groups can debate freely about matters of public interest, while also respecting the principle that politicians and public figures are legitimate objects of public scrutiny, comment and criticism.” 

While we welcome the Supreme Court 2023 guidelines allowing the penalty of fine as an alternative to imprisonment, it does not remove criminal liability in the country’s libel laws. The chilling effect, therefore, remains. Fines are also essentially punitive for journalists who are often subjected to precarious labor conditions.

The decriminalization of libel is long overdue. Laws should not be used to violate the right of ordinary citizens to air their grievances and concerns, and to hold the government to account for any wrongdoing.