[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11458, August 30, 2019 ]

AN ACT EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF EXEMPTIONS FROM REVEALING THE SOURCE OF PUBLISHED NEWS OR INFORMATION OBTAINED IN CONFIDENCE BY INCLUDING JOURNALISTS FROM BROADCAST, AND NEWS AGENCIES, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTION 1 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 53, AS AMENDED BY REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1477



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 53, otherwise known as "An Act to Exempt the Publisher, Editor or Reporter of Any Publication from Revealing the Source of Published News or Information Obtained in Confidence," as amended by Republic Act No. 1477, is hereby further amended, to read as follows:

"SECTION 1. Without prejudice to his liability under the civil and criminal laws, any publisher, owner, or duly recognized or accredited journalist, writer, reporter, contributor, opinion, writer, editor, columnist, manager, media practitioner involved in the writing, editing, production, and dissemination of news for mass circulation, of any print, broadcast, wire service organization, or electronic mass media, including cable TV and its variants, cannot be compelled to reveal the source of any news item, report or information appearing or being reported or disseminated through said media, which was related in confidence to the abovementioned media practitioners unless the court or the House of Representatives or the Senate or any committee of Congress finds that such revelation is demanded by the security of the State."

SEC. 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules or regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified.

SEC. 3. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

Approved,


 
(SGD.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
           Speaker of the House of Representatives
(SGD.) VICENTE C. SOTTO III
            President of the Senate


This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1255 and House Bill No. 684 was passed by the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives on June 3, 2019.

   
 
(SGD.) DANTE ROBERTO P. MALING
            Acting Secretary General House of Representatives
(SGD.) MYRA MARIE D. VILLARICA
            Secretary of the Senate

Approved: AUG 30 2019


(SGD.) RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
    President of the Philippines