Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares yesterday urged for the speedy approval of House Bill 1009 that seeks to decriminalize libel by repealing Articles 353 to 362 of the Revised Penal Code, a press release from his office said.

Other than HB 1009, the only bill decriminalizing libel is HB 2979 filed by the late Rep. Sonny Escudero. Considering that HB 1009 was filed more than two years ago, it should be prioritized by the House leadership together with HB 2979 and the recently filed bills amending the cybercrime law, Colmenares said in the press release.

He said HB 1009 that Bayan Muna filed seeks to delete libel from the Revised Penal Code, together with its penalty of imprisonment and fines. “The remedy should be a civil case for damages under the Civil Code. Although a person who commits libel should still be held liable, no one should go to prison for the exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of expression or categorized as an ‘ex-convict’ for such act,” the press release said.

Colmenares also urged the immediate passage of bills amending the cyber crime law. “While HB 1009 will repeal libel laws, whether committed through the internet or any other medium, it should be complemented by the repeal of the other draconian provisions in the current cybercrime law,” he added.

He said the House version did not contain the questionable provisions found in that of the Senate and the law, the press release added.*

back to top