G.R. No. 170643 September 8, 2006 JEJOMAR C. BINAY BINAY, or !"# $" be%!& o %$' m$"or #!()%ter, JOANNA MARIE BIANCA S. BINAY BINAY, petitioner, pe vs. *+E SECRE*ARY O J-S*ICE, GENII . AC*AO !"# ICEN*E G. *IRO/, respondents. *IRO/, respondents. YNARESSAN*IAGO, J YNARESSAN*IAGO, J. . *OIC D. FREEDOM FREEDOM OF EXP EXPRES RESSION SION > Unprot Unprotecte ected d Speech/ Speech/ Expression and Protected Speech/ Expression > d. overn!ent has the "#rden o$ proo$ ever% ti!e it exercises censorship > &i"e' as a (ri!ina' O)ense OC*RINE OC*RINE Under Under *rtic'e *rtic'e +- o$ the Revised Revised Pena' Pena' (ode, ever% ever% de$a!ator% i!p#tation is pres#!ed to "e !a'icio#s, even i$ it "e tr#e, i$ no ood intention and #sti0a"'e !otive $or !a1in it is sho2n. It is th#s inc#!"ent #pon private respondents to prove that 3ood intention and #sti0a"'e !otive3 attended the p#"'ication o$ the s#"ect artic'e. AC*S •
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In the *pri' *pri' 4564 4564,, 6774 6774 iss#e iss#e o$ $"o $"o *$me' *$me' Spe5$!& Spe5$!& E#$t$o", E#$t$o", an art artic'e ic'e entit' it'ed A/YAS ERA ERA JR. JR. 2as p#"'ished reardin the a''eed extravaant 'i$est%'e o$ the 8ina%s 8ina%s and the assets assets that the% ac9#ired ac9#ired 2hi'e 2hi'e in p#"'ic p#"'ic o:ce. Pararaph 6 o$ the artic'e reads; Si Joanne Marie Bianca Bianca,, 13 ang ang sinasa sinasabin bing g ampon ampong g anak anak ng mga mga Binay Binay, ay bumibili bumibili ng panty na nagkakaha nagkakahalaga laga ng P1,0 P1,000 00 ang ang isa, isa, ayon ayon sa isan isang g writ writer er ni Bina Binay y. Maga Magarb rbo o ang ang pamu pamumu muha hay y ng bata batang ng ito ito dahi dahil l naspoiled umano ng kanyang ama. 8ased on this artic'e, E&e"$t! S. B$"!, B$"! , !other o$ the !inor
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*''ein that the% did not receive the s#"poena and cop% o$ the co!p'aint, private respondents 0'ed an o!ni"#s !otion to re5op re5open en the the pre' pre'i! i!in inar ar% % inve invest sti iat atio ion. n. =he =he (it% (it% Prosec#tor, ho2ever, denied private respondents !otion $or reconsideration, reconsideration, th#s the% 0'ed a petition $or revie2 2ith the Secretar% o$ <#stice. On <#'% 6, 6776, then A5t$" A5t$") ) J('t$5 J('t$5e e Se5ret Se5ret!r !r Mer5e#$t!' N. G(t $e $erre: reer'e# t %e %e C$t ro'e5(tor;' 9"#$")' !"# #$re5te# t%e $t%#r!!& o t%e $"orm!t$o" 9&e# $" 5o(rt In a reso'#tion reso'#tion dated March 67, 677?, the (o#rt ranted the !otion o$
E*I*IONER;S ARG-MEN*S 4. =he artic'e artic'e is de$a!at de$a!ator% or% as it tends tends to, i$ not act#a''%, act#a''%, in#r in#re e 5e %$&e %$' $e $' !" $"5(mbe"t p(b&$5 o>5$!&. . !r!)r! !r!)r!p% p% 2? 5o"'t$t(te' 5o"'t$t(te' pr$$&e)e# pr$$&e)e# 5omm("$5 5omm("$5!t$o" !t$o" be5! be5!(' ('e e $t !' !' ! !$r !$r 5omm 5omme" e"tt o" t%e t%e 9t"e 9t"e'' '' o pet$t$o"er to r(" or p(b&$5 o>5e, p!rt$5(&!r& o" %$' &$e't&e !"# t%!t o %$' !m$&. !m$&. A' '(5%, m!&$5e 5!""ot
be pre'(me#. It $' "o pet$t$o"er;' b(r#e" to proe m!&$5e $" !5t. ISS-E @%et%er p!r!)r!p% 2? o t%e '(b
relation relational al interest interest since it in)ol)es in)ol)es the opinion opinion which which others others in the community may ha)e, or tend to ha)e, o the plainti( . It must be stressed that words which are are mere merely ly insu insult ltin ing g are are not not actionabl actionable e as libel or slander slander per se, se, and and mere mere word words s o gene genera ral l abuse abuse howe)e howe)er r opprob opprobrio rious, us, ill* ill* natur natured, ed, or )e%ati )e%atious ous,, wheth whether er written or spoken, do not constitute a basis or an action or deamati deamation on in the absence o an alleg allegati ation on or specia speciall damage damages. s. +he +he act act that that the the lang langua uage ge is o(ensi)e to the plainti( does not make it acti ctiona onable ble by itsel tsel . $%m"hasis added& I" #eterm$"$ #eterm$"$") ") %et%er %et%er ! 't!teme"t 't!teme"t $' #e!m!tor #e!m!tor , t%e or#' ('e# !re 5o"'tr(e# $" t%e$r e"t$ret !"# t!De" $" t%e$r t%e$r p&!$", p&!$", "!t(r!& !"# or#$"!r or#$"!r me!"$") !' t%e o(&# "!t(r!&& be ("#er'too# b per'o"' re!#$") t%em, ("&e'' $t !ppe!r' !ppe!r' t%!t t%e ere ('e# !"# ("#er'too# ("#er'too# $" !"ot%er !"ot%er 'e"'e. =ested =ested aainst the $oreoin, $oreoin, e 9"# t%!t t%ere $' prima $' prima aci a cie e '%o$") t%!t p!r!)r!p% 2? o t%e '(b
'ei 'eis' s'at ativ ive, e, or othe otherr o:ci o:cia' a' proc procee eedi din ns s 2hic 2hich h are are not not o$ con0de con0dent ntia' ia' nat# nat#re re,, or o$ an% an% state state!en !ent, t, repor report, t, or speec speech h de'ivered in said proceedins, or o$ an% act per$or!ed "% p#"'ic o:cers in the exercise o$ their $#nctions. Chichever 2a% 2e vie2 it, 2e cannot discern a 'ea', !ora', or socia' d#t% in p#"'ishin
