Practice question
An employee privately reports suspected wrongdoing to an officer with a duty and power to address it. Assume a genuine legal or moral duty, a proper recipient, good faith, and absence of malice are established. What protection is potentially applicable?
- An absolute privilege for every statement to anyone.
- Qualified privilege for the duty-related communication.
- Automatic immunity for any later public broadcast.
- No privilege can ever apply to an accusation.
- A privilege requiring the accusation to have appeared in a newspaper first.
Legal references
- Revised Penal Code, Act No. 3815, specified articles, as amended: https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/28/20426; Articles 353–355, 358–359 and 361.
- RA 10951, current amended RPC provisions and monetary thresholds: https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2017/ra_10951_2017.html; amended honor-offense fines.
- Orillo v People, G.R. No. 206905, January 30, 2023, main decision, libel and qualified privilege: https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2023/jan2023/gr_206905_2023.html
- Causing v People, G.R. No. 258524, April 8, 2026, en banc main resolution on reconsideration, cyberlibel prescription and discovery: https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2026/apr2026/gr_258524_2026.html
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