To: The Senate of the Philippines, House of Representatives, and the President of the Republic of the Philippines

We, the undersigned, call for the urgent reform of Philippine libel laws to align with international human rights standards by decriminalizing libel and treating it as a civil offense, not a criminal act.

 

International Legal Basis for Reform

 

The criminalization of libel in the Philippines violates multiple international legal principles, including:

📜 Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – Guarantees the right to freedom of expression, stating that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.”

📜 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Article 19 – The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) has ruled that imprisonment for libel is excessive and violates international law. In 2011, the UNHRC urged the Philippine government to decriminalize libel, stating that penalties must be “proportional and not serve as a means of silencing dissent.”

📜 UN Human Rights Committee Ruling (2011) – The UNHRC ruled in favor of journalist Alexander Adonis, who was imprisoned for libel in the Philippines, stating that criminal libel laws violate the ICCPR and international human rights standards.

📜 Global Legal Precedents – Many democratic countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and most of Europe, do not treat libel as a criminal offense. Instead, libel is handled through civil courts, where disputes are settled through financial damages, not imprisonment.

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Why the Current Law is Harmful

 

The Philippines remains one of the few democratic countries that still imposes criminal penalties for libel. This outdated law has been used to:

🚨 Suppress freedom of speech and press freedom – Journalists, critics, and even private citizens have been harassed, arrested, or threatened with jail time for expressing opinions online.

🚨 Silence critics of corruption – Politicians and powerful individuals frequently weaponize libel laws to intimidate and suppress those who expose wrongdoing.

🚨 Put OFWs and Filipinos abroad at risk – Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Filipino citizens posting online can be charged with cyber libel and arrested upon returning to the Philippines.

🚨 Go against international human rights standards – The UNHRC and international watchdogs have consistently called for the Philippines to decriminalize libel, making reform long overdue.

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What We Are Calling For

 

We urge the Philippine Congress to:

✅ Decriminalize libel and cyber libel – Remove imprisonment as a penalty and ensure that libel cases are handled as civil disputes.
✅ Ensure legal reforms align with the ICCPR and UNHRC recommendations – The Philippines must comply with international obligations.
✅ Pass legislation that protects freedom of speech while ensuring fair remedies for defamation – Libel cases should focus on financial damages, not jail time.
✅ Prevent the misuse of libel laws to silence journalists and critics – Legal protections should prevent the law from being abused for political retaliation.

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This is Not About Allowing Fake News or Defamation

 

Decriminalizing libel does not mean allowing false accusations or defamation. Instead, it ensures that cases are resolved fairly in civil courts—not through imprisonment, which violates democratic values.

Why This Matters to You

 

🛑 Are you an OFW worried about speaking out online?

🛑 Are you a journalist or blogger afraid of being sued?

🛑 Do you believe in free speech and democracy?

 

If YES, then sign this petition and join the movement to decriminalize libel in the Philippines. Let’s push for a fair legal system that protects free expression instead of punishing it!

 

✍️ Sign and Share this Petition Now!

📢 Use the hashtags #DecriminalizeLibel #CivilNotCriminal #FreeSpeechPH to spread awareness!