The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) welcomes the Quezon City Regional Trial Court’s decision in favor of journalist Atom Araullo in his P2-million civil case against red-taggers Lorraine Badoy-Partosa and Jeffrey Celiz.
Apart from the moral victory and vindication, this court win shows — as activists and rights defenders have repeatedly raised —that red-tagging causes actual damage and harm.
The case also points to a potential avenue for redress for the dozens of people and organizations that Badoy-Partosa and Celiz, and others of their ilk, have maliciously labeled and accused on air and on social media.
May this case, as Atom hoped when he filed it, “[contribute] a modest way to protecting press freedom in general.”
May it also serve as a warning to red-taggers that the media community can, has, and will hold you accountable in as many venues are available.
The court correctly pointed out that the right to free speech is not absolute and does not protect defamatory statements.
More broadly, this case also shows how one can seek redress for defamation without resorting to criminal libel, an archaic and anachronistic law that has often been used to silence critical reporting, criticism and dissent.
Reference:
National Directorate
09602784263
