Text of the provision
Art. 354. Requirement for publicity. -Every defamatory imputation is presumed to be malicious, even if it be true, if no good intention and justifiable motive for making it is shown, except in the following cases: 1. A private communication made by any person to another in the performance of any legal, moral or social duty; and 2. A fair and true report, made in good faith, without any comments or remarks, of any judicial, legislative or other official proceedings which are not of confidential nature, or of any statement, report or speech delivered in said proceedings, or of any other act performed by public officers in the exercise of their functions.
Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, Act No. 3815, as amended. Reproduced in full from the official enactment and verified against the LawPhil and ChanRobles renderings.
What this article means
Every defamatory imputation is presumed malicious, even if true, unless a good intention and justifiable motive is shown. Two things are excepted: a private communication made in the performance of a legal, moral or social duty, and a fair and true report, made in good faith and without comment, of official proceedings that are not confidential or of acts of public officers in their functions.
Questions about this provision
Related provisions
- Article 353 — Definition Of Libel.
- Article 355 — Libel By Writing Or Similar Means.
On this text. This article is reproduced as the Revised Penal Code enacted it, verified word-for-word against two independent sources. Republic Act No. 10951 (2017) revised the penalty amounts in many other articles of this Code; where an amount appears below it is the figure this article itself carries.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.