VALUE OF A LIE
A. M. No. 16-03-10-SC, October 19, 2019
RE: NEWS REPORT OF MR. JOMAR CANLAS IN THE MANILA TIMES ISSUE OF 8 MARCH 2016
[F]alse reports about a public official or other person are not shielded from sanction by the cardinal right to free speech enshrined in the Constitution. Even the most liberal view of free speech has never countenanced the publication of falsehoods, specially the persistent and unmitigated dissemination of patent lies. The U.S. Supreme Court, while asserting that"[u]nder the First Amendment there is no such thing as a false idea," and that "[h]owever pernicious an opinion may seem, we depend for its correction not on the conscience of judges and juries but on the competition of other ideas" (citing a passage from the first Inaugural Address of Thomas Jefferson), nonetheless made the firm announcement that "there is no constitutional value in false statements of facts," and "the erroneous statement of fact is not worthy of constitutional protection [although] x x x nevertheless inevitable m free debate." "Neither the intentional lie nor careless error," it said, "materially advances society's interest in 'unhibited, robust, and wido-pen' debate on public issues. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 us,l at 270, 11 L Ed 2d 686, 95 ALR2d 1412. They belong to that category of utterances which 'are no[t] essential part of any exposition of ideas, and are of such slight social value as a step to the truth that any benefit that may be derived from them is clearly outweighed by the social interest in order and morality.' Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, 315 US 568, 572, 86 LEd 1031,62 S Ct 766 (1942)."12
The Court is not immune from criticisms, and it is the duty of the press to expose all government agencies and officials and to hold them responsible for their actions. However, the press cannot just throw accusations without verifying the truthfulness of their reports. The perfunctory apology of Canlas does not detract from the fact that the article, directly or indirectly, tends to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.