7/24/2019 Guidelines in Imposing Penalties for Libel_Q &
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Guidelines in Imposing Penalties for Libel: Questions and
Answers
Published byAtty. FredJanuary 30th, 2008 in
LibelandObiter/News.1 C!!ent
What is libel?
Libel is a "ubli# and !ali#ius i!"utatin $ a #ri!e, r $ a %i#e r
de$e#t, real r
i!a&inary, r any a#t, !issin, #nditin, status, r
#ir#u!stan#e tendin& t #ause the
dishnr, dis#redit r #nte!"t $ a natural r 'uridi#al "ersn, r t
bla#(en the !e!ry$ ne wh is dead. )Arti#le. 3*3, +e%ised Penal Cde
!re dis#ussin here-
What is the imposable penalty for libel?
Libel, #!!itted by !eans $ writin&, "rintin&,
lith&ra"hy, en&ra%in&, radi,
"hn&ra"h, "aintin&, theatri#al ehibitin,
#ine!at&ra"hi# ehibitin, r any si!ilar
!eans, is "unishable with "risin #rre##inal in its !ini!u! and
!ediu! "erids or a
$ine ran&in& $r! 200 t ,000 "ess, or both, in additin t
the #i%il a#tin whi#h !aybe bru&ht by the $$ended "arty. )Art.
3**, +PC-
What is the significance of Ad!inistrati%e Cir#ular N.
082008)full text-,issued by
the upreme !ourt on "# $anuary "%%& 'A()( *o(
%&+,+,-+!.?
Ad!inistrati%e Cir#ular N. 082008, "r%idin& $r Guidelines in
the Observance of a
Rule of Preference in the Imposition of Penalties in Libel
Cases, instru#ts all #urts and
'ud&es t ta(e nte $ #ertain "re$eren#es in i!"sin&
"enalties $r the #ri!e $ libel.he Jud&es #n#erned !ay, in the
eer#ise $ sund dis#retin, and ta(in& int
#nsideratin the "e#uliar #ir#u!stan#es $ ea#h #ase, deter!ine
whether the i!"sitin
$ a $ine alne wuld best ser%e the interests $ 'usti#e r whether
$rbearin& t i!"sei!"risn!ent wuld de"re#iate the seriusness $
the $$ense, wr( %ilen#e n thes#ial rder, r therwise be #ntrary t
the i!"erati%es $ 'usti#e.
Is there any case or /urisprudence wherein only a fine was
imposed?
4es, there are a nu!ber $ illustratins !entined in the Cir#ular.
One $ the #ases #ited
isFernando Sazon v. Court of Appeals and People of the
Philippines , wherein the5u"re!e Curt !di$ied the "enalty i!"sed
u"n "etitiner, an $$i#er $ a
h!ewners6 ass#iatin, $r the #ri!e $ libel $r! i!"risn!ent and
$ine in the
a!unt $ P200.00, t $ine nly $ P3,000.00, with subsidiary
i!"risn!ent in #ase $
insl%en#y, $r the reasn that he wrte the libelus arti#le !erely
t de$end his hnra&ainst the !ali#ius !essa&es that earlier
#ir#ulated arund the subdi%isin, whi#h he
thu&ht was the handiwr( $ the "ri%ate #!"lainant. here are
ther illustratins stated
in the Cir#ular )$ull tet here-.
0oes the !ircular remo1e imprisonment as a penalty for
libel?
N. he Cir#ular e"li#itly states that it des nt re!%e i!"risn!ent
as an alternati%e
"enalty $r the #ri!e $ libel under Arti#le 3** $ the +e%ised
Penal Cde. 7n ther
wrds, the Cir#ular des nt de#ri!inalie libel and the #urt #uld
still i!"sei!"risn!ent i$ #alled $r by the #ir#u!stan#es. Als, e%en
i$ nly a $ine is i!"sed but
the a##used $ails r re$uses t "ay, the a##used #uld be
i!"risned, a""lyin& the +e%ised
Penal Cde "r%isins n subsidiary i!"risn!ent.
When does the !ircular ta2e effect?
7t ta(es e$$e#t u"n its issuan#e, r n 2* January 2008.
Is this the first time that the upreme !ourt issued a !ircular
of such nature?
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