Practice question
A columnist’s factual statement about a public official turns out to be false. Actual malice is required in the case, but the record proves only negligence and no knowledge of falsity or serious doubts of the kind Disini describes. The complainant demands an automatic actual-malice finding from falsity alone. Which is correct?
- Falsity alone always proves the required mental state
- A public official’s complaint replaces proof
- Negligence and actual malice are identical standards
- The automatic inference is insufficient; the required actual-malice element must be proved
- Every false statement is automatically immune from every law
Legal references
- Disini v. Secretary of Justice, G.R. No. 203335 et al., February 11, 2014, main decision: https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2014/feb2014/gr_203335_2014.html
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