J, you are too naive. So far, the only person who stood his ground, convicted and jailed was Erap. But he is still guilty of corruption charges and plunder. So there is nothing commendable even how much calcium he had on his spine.

In contrast, we have Madame President who can change her shades like a camellion. But one thing is sure, she is not stupid.

You need to tread the water to know if your motto really works.

Even funnier is that the extortionist Ramon Tulfo learns to muzzle his gun a bit and settles to badmouthing like say coward this time. In July 2006, NBI filed five counts of extortion charges against Ramon Tulfo and his brothers Raffy and Erwin. After all, morons expecially a family of morons can learn.

Kuya Mon, please smile!

Congress can only punish action, not speech; so criminal libel is unconstitutional.

The law on libel presumes malice of the libelous statement. But malice is an element of the offense. So the presumption shifts the burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused. It is elementary that the prosecution must prove every element of the offense.

The CJ Puno memorandum directs the RTC to impose fines instead of imprisonment. So what is the danger?

As for a civil suit, let the priest prove his mental anguish. Isn’t suffering a spiritual plus?

Then again, it’s your life. But this would have been a good fight; and one that would have enriched Philippine jurisprudence.

A journalist, particularly a columnist, should stand by what he or she perceives to be the truth and suffer the consequences if need be.

The aftermath of telling the truth could come in the form of a libel suit with the possibility of going to jail, or harm to his person.

If a columnist is not too sure about his facts he should shut up.

Only fairies in a beauty parlor chatter in gossip. A newspaper column is not a beauty salon.

One columnist says that his colleagues who “get stuck with libel cases” are stupid.

The same columnist ate the strong words he said earlier about a very prominent personality after being threatened with a libel suit by the latter’s lawyers.

Which is worse, being stupid or being cowardly?

I’d rather be a stupid columnist jailed for his convictions than a free man without a backbone.

A cowardly columnist, no matter his eloquence, loses his credibility sooner or later.

But as to the word, ANATHEMA: “Let it be done”.

i realize, given the position the catholic church occupies in philippine society, how much of an uphill struggle mlq3 would have had he chosen to take them on in the name of press freedom.
i think philippine libel laws will remain anachronistic, if not retrogressive, over the next hundred years.

Unchecked Dictatorship. Abuse of Power. Authoritarianism.
The Dictator and his cahoots can just rob the Filipino people
with their eyes open.

Is this what all want?