G. R.No.164437 Pe t i t i one r , HECTOR C.VI LLANUE UEVA, -v e r s usPHI HI LI PPI NEDA DAI LYI NQUI RER, R,I NC. C. ,LETTY JI MENE NEZMA MAGS GSANOC OC, ROSAUR URO G.ACOSTA,JOSEMA MARI RI ANOLASCO,ART RTEMI O T.ENGRACI A,JR. ,RAFAEL CHE HEEKEE,andMA MANI LADA DAI LYBULLETI NPUB UBLI SHI HI NG COR ORPORATI ON,NAPOLEON ON G.RAMA,BEN F.RODRI GUEZ,ARTHU HUR S.SALES,CRI SJ.I CBAN,JR. , Res pondent s. May15,2009 st ent wi t h good f ai t h, re asonabl e car e and t he const i t ut i onal DOC OCTRI NE: Consi guarant eeoff r eedom oft hepr ess,t hepr essshoul dnotbehel dt oaccount ,t oapoi ntof suppres si on,f or honestmi mi st akes or i mper f ect i ons i nt he choi ce ofl anguage.Ther e mustbesome mer oom f ormi sst at eme mentoff actaswel lasf ormi sj udgme ment .Onl ybygi vi ng t hem much l ee way and t ol er ancecan t hey courag eousl y and effec t i ve l yf unct i on as cri t i calagenci esi n ourdemo mocracy .A newspaper ,especi al l yonenat i onali nr each and cover age,shoul dbef r eet ore portonevent sanddevel opment si nwhi cht hepubl i chasa l egi t i mat ei nt er estwi t hmi ni mum f earofbei nghaul edt ocourtbyonegr ouporanot her . e. on cr i mi nalorci vi lchargesf orma mal i ceordama mages,i l i bel ,sol ongast henewspaper r e s pe c t sand k ee pswi wi t hi nt hest a nda r dsofmor a l i t yand c i v i l i t ypr ev a i l i ngwi t hi nt he gener alcomm mmuni t y . Fo rl i abi l i t yi nl i be lc as e st oar i s ewi wi t ho uto ffe ndi ngpr e s sf r e e do m, m,t he r e i st hi st e s tt ome e t :" Thec ons t i t ut i o nalg uar a nt e e sr e qui r e ,wet hi nk,af e de r a lr ul et ha t pr o hi bi t sapubl i co ffic ffic i a lf r o mr e c o ve ri ngda ma ma g e sf o rad ef a ma ma t o r yf a l s e ho odr e l a t i ng t ohi soffic ffici alconductunl esshepr ovest hatt hest at eme mentwasma madewi t h‘ act ual ma l i c e ’ —t hati s ,wi t hkno wl e dget hati twa sf a l seorwi t hr e c kl e s sdi s r e g a r do fwhe t he r i twasf a l s eo rno t . "The r ec an benopr e s ump t i o no fac t ua lma l i c eonpr i v i l eg e d comm mmuni cat i on,t husi tmustbesuffic ffi ci ent l yprov ed.Fai rcomm mment ari esonm ma at t er sof publ i ci nt e r es ta r epr i v i l e g e dc o mm mmuni ca t i o na ndc o ns t i t ut eav a l i dde f e nsei na n ac t i o n f orl i belors l anderf orassuch,noma mal i cecanbeapt l ybepr esumedont hem. m.The i ns t a ntar t i c l e soft hec as ede al twi t hmat t e r so fpubl i ci nt e r e s t .The s ear ema mat t e r s aboutwhi cht hepubl i chast heri ghtt obei nf orme med,t aki ngi nt oaccountt heverypubl i c c har a c t e ro ft hee l e c t i o ni t s e l f .Fo rt hi sr e as on,t he yat t r a c t e dme di ami mi l e ag eanddr e w publ i cat t e nt i o n no to nl yt ot hee l e c t i o ni t s e l fbutt ot hec andi dat e s .Thus ,noma mal i c e maybei mput e do nt he s ear t i c l esf ort heac t i o no fl i be lt os t a nd,i tmus tbes uffic i e nt l y proved.
FACTS: Pet i t i onerwasoneoft hema mayoral t ycandi dat esi n Bai s,Negr osOr i ent alduri ng t heMa May11,1992el ect i ons. OnMar ch30,1990,Ri car doNol an,anot herma mayor al t ycandi dat e,pet i t i onedf or t hedi s qual i fic at i o no fpe t i t i o ne rf r o mr unni ngi nt hee l e c t i o ns .Sai d pe t i t i o n,ho we v e r , wasdeni edbyt heCOMELEC. Two day s bef or et he el ect i ons,or onMay 9,1992,r espondentMani l a Dai l y Bul l e t i nPubl i s hi ngCo r po r a t i o n( Mani l aBul l e t i n)publ i s he dt hef o l l o wi wi ngs t o r y : TheComel echasdi squal i fied Hect orG.Vi l l anueva asLakasorhavi ngbeen convi ct ed i n NUCD candi dat ef or ma mayorofBai s Ci t yf
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t hr eeadmi ni st r at i vecasesf orgrav eabuseofaut hori t yand harassme ment i n1987,whi l ehewasoffic ffi cer i nchargeoft hema mayor’ soffic fficeofBai sCi t y . A day bef or et he el ect i ons or onMay 10,1992,r espondentPhi l i ppi ne Dai l y I nq ui r e r ,I nc .( PDI )al s oc ameoutwi t hasi mi l ars t o r y ,t owi wi t : The Commi ssi on on El ect i ons di squal i fied Hect or G. Vi l l anueva as LakasNUCD candi dat e f or mayor ofBai sCi t yf or havi ngbeen convi ct ed i nt hr eeadmi ni st r ati vecasesf orgr aveabuse ofauthori t y and har assment i n 1987,whi l e he wa was t he offi cer i nchar geoft hema mayor’ soffi cei nt heci t y. OnMay 11, 1992, t he nat i onal and l oc al el ect i ons wer e hel d as s c he dul e d.Wh Whe nr e s ul t sc a me meo ut ,i tt ur ne do utt ha tpe t i t i o nerf a i l e di nhi sma ma y o r a l t y bi d. Bel i evi ng t hathi s def eatwas caused by t he publ i cat i on oft he abovequot ed s t o r i es ,pe t i t i o ne rs ue dr e s po nde nt sPDIa ndMa ni l aBul l e t i na swe l la st he i rp ubl i s he r s andedi t orsf ordama magesbef oret heRTC ofBai sCi t y .Heal l egedt hatt heart i cl eswer e “ mal i ci ousl yt i med”t odef eathi m.Hecl ai medheshoul dhavewon byl andsl i de,buthi s support er sr eport edl y bel i eved t henewsi t ems msdi st ri but ed by hi sri val sand vot ed f or ot hercandi dat es.He Heaskedf oract ualdamagesofP270, 000f ort heamo mounthespentf or t he camp mpai gn,mo mor aldama mage s ofP10, 000, 000,an unspec i fied amo mountofex emp mpl ar y da ma ma g es ,a t t o r ne y ’ sf e e so fP300, 000a ndco s t so fs ui t . Wh t he rornotMani l aBul l e t i nandPhi l i ppi neDai l yI nqui r erar el i abl ef or I SSUE UE : e damag e sorl i be lf o rt hepubl i s he dar t i c l e .
RULI NG:NO Fo rl i abi l i t yi nl i be lc as e st oar i s ewi wi t ho uto ffe ndi ngpr e s sf r e e dom,t he r ei st hi s t e s tt ome me e t :" Thec ons t i t ut i o nalg uar a nt e e sr e q ui r e ,wet hi nk,af e de r a lr ul et ha t pr o hi bi t sapubl i co ffic ffic i a lf r o mr e c o ve ri ngda ma ma g e sf o rad ef a ma ma t o r yf a l s e ho odr e l a t i ng t ohi soffic ffici alconductunl esshepr ovest hatt hest at eme mentwasma madewi t h‘ act ual ma l i c e ’ —t hati s ,wi t hkno wl e dget hati twa sf a l seorwi t hr e c kl e s sdi s r e g a r do fwhe t he r i twasf al s eorno t . "Fa i rc o mm mme nt ar i e sonmat t e r so fpubl i ci nt e r e s ta r epr i v i l e g e d c o mm mmuni c at i o na ndc o ns t i t ut eav a l i dde f e nsei na n ac t i o nf orl i be lo rs l a nderf o ra s such,noma mal i cec anbeapt l ybepr esumedon t hem. m.Ther ul eonpr i vi l eged c o mm mmuni c at i o nha di t sg e ne s i sno ti nt hena t i o n’ spe na lc o debuti nt heBi l lo fRi g ht so f t heConst i t ut i onguarant eei ngf r eedom ofspeechandoft hepr ess.Asear l yas1918, t e dSt at e sv .Cañe t e,t i nUni hi sCo ur tr ul e dt ha tpubl i c at i o nswhi c ha r epr i v i l e g e df o r r e a so nsofpubl i cpo l i c ya r epr o t e c t e db yt hec ons t i t ut i o na lg uar a nt yoff r e e do mo f speech. I nt hei ns t antc as e ,t he r ei snode ny i ngt hatt heq ue s t i o ne dar t i c l e sde al twi t h ma t t er so fpubl i ci nt e r e s t .Thesea r em ma a t t e r sa bo utwhi c ht hepubl i chast her i g htt obe i nf o r me me d,t aki ngi nt oa cc o untt hev e r ypubl i cc har a c t e ro ft hee l e c t i o ni t s e l f .Fo rt hi s r e a so n,t heyat t r a c t edm me e di ami mi l e ag ea nddr e w publ i ca t t e nt i o nno to nl yt ot hee l e c t i o n
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Never t hel ess,even assumi ngthatt hecont ent soft heart i cl est urned outt obe f a l se ,me r ee r r or ,i nac c ur a c yo rev e nf a l s i t ya l o nedoe sno tp r o v eac t ua lma l i ce .Er r o r s or mi ss t at eme ment s ar e i nev i t abl e i n any sc heme me of t r ul y f r ee ex pr es si on and debat e.Consi st entwi t hgoodf ai t handr easonabl ecare,t hepr essshoul dnotbehel dt o a cc o unt ,t oapo i nto fs uppr es s i o n,f orho nes tmi s t a kesori mpe r f e c t i o nsi nt hec ho i c eo f l anguage .Ther e mus t be s ome me r oom f or mi ss t at eme nt of f ac t as wel l as f or mi sj udgme ment .Onl ybygi vi ngt hem muchl ee wayandt ol er ancec an t heyc our ageousl y a nde ffe c t i v e l yf unc t i o na sc r i t i ca lag e nc i esi no urd e mo mo c r ac y. A ne wspaper ,especi al l yonenat i onali nr eac h and cov er age ,shoul d bef r e et o r eporton event sand devel opment si n whi ch t hepubl i chasa l egi t i mat ei nt er estwi t h mi ni mum f earofbei ng haul ed t o cour tby onegr oup oranot heron cr i mi nalorci vi l . e . char gesf orma mal i ceordama mages,i l i bel ,sol ongast henewspaperre spect sand keeps wi t hi nt hes t andar dsofmo r al i t yandci vi l i t ypr e vai l i ngwi t hi nt hegener alcommu mmuni t y . s umbi ngv .L ope z ,e tal . Asapt l yobser v e di n Qui : Ever yci t i ze n ofcour sehast heri ghtt oenj oyagood name meand r eput at i on,butwe do notc onsi dert hatt he r espondent s,undert he ci r cumst ances oft hi s case,had vi ol at ed sai dr i ghtor abused t he f r eedom oft hepr ess .Thenewspaper sshoul d be gi ven such l eeway and t ol er ance as t o enabl e them t o cour ageousl y and effe ffect i vel y perf orm t hei ri mpor t antr ol ei n ourdemo m ocracy.I nt hepr e par a t i o n ofst ori es,pr essr eport ersand edi t i on usual l yhavet or acewi wi t ht hei r deadl i nes;and consi st ent l ywi wi t h good f ai t h and r easonabl ecar e,they shoul d not be hel dt o account ,t o a poi nt of suppr essi on,f or mperf ect i on i nt hechoi ceofwords. honestmi mi st akesori We Wefindr espondent sent i t l e dt ot hepr ot ect i on oft her ul e sconcer ni ngqual i fied pri vi l ege,gr owi ng outofconst i t ut i onalguarant i es i n ourBi l lofRi ght s.We We cannot puni shj ournal i st si ncl udi ngpubl i sher sf oran honestendeavort oserv et hepubl i cwh when movedby a senseofci vi cdut yand prodded by t hei rsense ofr esponsi bi l i t yasnews medi at oreportwhatt heyper cei vedt obeagenui ner eport .
