Cebu Citizens-Press Council

Statement of  Atty Jesus G. Dureza, chairman/president of the Philippine Press Institute, re the Supreme Court ruling on the Cybercrime Law

February 24, 2014

Remove Jurassic penal sanctions—PPI

We welcome and throw our full support behind the filing of a motion for reconsideration to enable the Supreme Court to take a second look at its ruling.  It is not only in the Supreme Court where we can seek relief from the unconscionable provisions and jurassic penal sanctions of this new law.  We can also go to Congress.

Let us all unite and support the move in Congress to decriminalize libel and remove the penal sanctions in all statute books that impinge on our inalienable freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

(Background: Following petitions filed in 2012 questioning the legality of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the Supreme Court on Feb. 18, 2014 declared some of the law’s provisions constitutional, including the provision on Internet libel. For reactions on this ruling, read: “Cybercrime Law: SC ruling not clear on ‘repeated’ libel.”)