f3‘h Congress of the Republic ) 
of the Philippines 
1 
First Regular Session . 
1 
! 
Justice Malcolm once wrote that public opinion should be the constant 
source of liberty and democracy rising superior to any official, or set of officials, 
to the Chief Executive, to the Legislature, to the Judiciary. The value placed on 
pubk opinion is enshrined in our Constitution which guarantees freedom of 
expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press. However, the interest 
of society demands not merely the right to express one’s thoughts but the right 
to ah educated and enlightened public opinion. Essential to the protection of the 
freedom of expression is the promotion of a full discussion of public affairs. The 
freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the Constitution necessarily 
embraces a correlative right of reply, which is the right to reply to every form of 
expression protected under the Constitution, especially to accusations or 
criticisms published or aired through the mass media. 
I 
I. 
This Act enables all persons to equitably exercise their right of reply in 
the field of broadcast and print media and protects its exercise by providing 
penalties for violation of such right. 


13th Congress of the Republic ) 
of the Philippines 
1 
First Regular Session 
1 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
. - All persons natural or juridical who are 
accused directly or indirectly of committing, having committed or of intending to 
commit any crime or offense defined by law or are criticized by innuendo, 
suggestion or rumor for any lapse in behavior in public or private life shall have 
the right to reply to the charges published or printed in newspapers, magazines, 
newsletkers or publications circulated commercially or for free, or criticisms aired 
or broadcast over radio, television, websites, or through any electronic device. 
. -- The reply of the person so 
accused or criticized shall be published in the same space of the newspapers, 
magazine, newsletter or publication or aired over the same program on radio, 
telev,ision, website, or through any electronic device. 
, 
-- Is shall published or broadcast not 
later/ than one day after the reply shall have been delivered to the editorial office 
of the publication concerned or to the station that carried the broadcast being 
replied to. 
- The reply shall not be longer than 
the accusation or criticism as published or broadcast. 
. - The publication or broadcasting pf the 
reply shall free of charge, payment or fees. 


. 
. -- The reply shall be published or 
broadcast except for libelous allegations. 
. - The editor-in-chief and the publisher or 
station manager and owner of the broadcast medium who fails or refuses to 
publish or broadcast the reply as mandated in the preceding section shall be 
fined in an amount not exceeding P10,OOO for the first offense; P20,OOO for the 
second offense; and P30,OOO and imprisonment for not more than 30 days for 
the third offense. 
CTI 
. The publication of the reply does not preclude recourse to 
other rights or remedies available to the patty or parties concerned. 
. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
publication in three (3) newspapers of general circulation.