Short answer. Yes. Article 356 of the Revised Penal Code makes it a separate offense to threaten another person with the publication of a libel, or to offer to suppress such a publication in exchange for money. This crime exists independently of whether the libel is ever actually published.
What the law says
The penalty of arresto mayor or a fine from Forty thousand pesos (₱40,000) to Four hundred thousand pesos (₱400,000), or both, shall be imposed upon any person who threatens another to publish a libel concerning him or the parents, spouse, child, or other member of the family of the latter, or upon anyone who shall offer to prevent the publication of such libel for a compensation or money consideration.
Revised Penal Code, Article 356 — Threatening To Publish A Libel. Read the full provision →
Two separate acts under one article
Article 356 criminalizes two related but distinct behaviors. The first is the threat: telling someone that you will publish damaging material about them unless they comply with your demand. The second is the offer to suppress: positioning yourself as someone who can prevent the publication of a libel and demanding money to do so. Both acts are punished under the same article and carry the same penalty range. The article targets the extortive use of defamatory material — using the threat of reputational harm as leverage.
The crime does not require the libel to be published
A critical feature of Article 356 is that the crime is complete at the point of the threat or the offer — no actual publication is needed. If you demand payment to stay silent, or threaten to publish unless paid, you have already committed the offense. The victim does not need to wait for the libel to appear before reporting the matter. This distinguishes Article 356 from ordinary libel, where the defamatory statement must actually be published to the public.
The protection extends to the victim's close family
The threat does not have to concern the victim personally to trigger the crime. Article 356 expressly covers threats to publish a libel concerning the parents, spouse, child, or other member of the family of the person being threatened. So if someone threatens to publish damaging material about your spouse unless you pay them, that threat against your family member also falls under Article 356. The law recognizes that targeting a person's close relatives is an equally effective form of extortion.
The current penalty amounts come from RA 10951 (2017)
The fines stated in Article 356 — from ₱40,000 to ₱400,000 — reflect the amendment made by Republic Act No. 10951 in 2017, which updated monetary values throughout the Revised Penal Code. Older copies of the Code show significantly lower figures from the original 1930 text. If you are researching this provision or advising on a case, use the post-2017 amended version. A lawyer can advise you on how to respond if you are the target of this kind of threat, or what documentation to gather before reporting it.