The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has recommended the acquittal of Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr. in the cyber libel case filed against them, urging the Supreme Court of the Philippines to overturn their conviction.

The recommendation was based on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Berteni Cataluña Causing vs. People, which clarified that cyber libel complaints must be filed within one year from the time the alleged offense is discovered. The OSG said the charges against Ressa and Santos were filed beyond the allowed prescriptive period, making the prosecution time-barred.

The case stemmed from a Rappler article originally published in 2012 that linked businessman Wilfredo Keng to alleged criminal activities and mentioned that he had lent a vehicle to then Chief Justice Renato Corona. The article was updated in 2014, while the complaint was filed in 2019 after the issue was reportedly discovered in 2016.

A Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) convicted Ressa and Santos of cyber libel in 2020, and the Court of Appeals (CA) later upheld the ruling, prompting the journalists to elevate the case to the Supreme Court.

Despite recommending acquittal, the OSG emphasized that cyber libel remains punishable under existing law, but courts must ensure the proper application of legal rules while balancing the protection of reputation and privacy with the constitutional guarantee of press freedom. The final decision on the case will be made by the Supreme Court.