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Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines
Ni Estong Reyes
Isang panukalang batas ang muling inihain sa Senado na naglalayong tanggalin ang parusang pagkakakulong sa kasong libelo laban sa sinumang journalist pero mananatili ang pagbabayad ng civil damages.
Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Senador Jinggoy Estrada na muli nitong inihain ang Senate Bill No 2521, or isang Act Abolishing the Penalty of Imprisonment in Libel cases Against Community Journalists, Publications or Broadcast, nitong Enero 22.
“The Philippines is perceived as one of the most dangerous pieces in the world for journalists, with numerous cases of killings against media practitioners in recent years” ayon kay Estrada sa pahayag.
Unang inihain ni Estrada ang naturang panukala noong 2004 sa 13th Congress at muling inihain sa 14th, 15th at 16 Congress pero nabigong maipasa.
Base sa 2022 Global Impunity Index, na nagtatasa kung ilang bilang ng kaso ng journalist na hindi nalulutas tulad ng murder alinsunod sa populasyon ng isang bansa, kaya natala sa ika-132 antas ang Pilipinas sa 180 countries, na gumanda kumpara sa 147th nitong 2023.
“The 1987 Constitution guarantees freedom of the press but, in practice, Philippine law does not protect the free exercise of journalism,” ayon kay Estrada.
“It does not help that while journalists are under attack, the domestic legal framework poses another serious threat — through imprisonment due to libel, which is currently a criminal offense,” giit ng senador sa panukala.
Alinsunod sa Revised Penal Code, (RPC), nagkakaroon ng kasong libelo na nagawa sa pamamagitan ng pagsusulat, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonograph, painting, theatrical exhibition, cinematographic, exhibition, o anumang katulad na pamamaraan.
“As amended by Republic Act 10951, it shall be punished by prison correctional (6 months and 1 day to 6 years) in its minimum and medium periods or a fine ranging from PHP40,000 to PHP1.2 million, or both,” ayon sa explanatory notes ng panukala.
