Thursday, February 27, 2020

EO 65, s. 1986 - repeal of Presidential Decree No. 90 entitled “DECLARING UNLAWFUL RUMOR-MONGERING AND SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION” and Letter of Instructions No. 50, providing guidelines for the implementation of said Decree.



EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 65

REPEALING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 90 AND LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 50

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 90 which declares unlawful and penalizes rumor-mongering and spreading of false information, was issued under martial law purportedly to curb the said acts which are allegedly insidious means of disrupting the peace, order and tranquility throughout the country;

WHEREAS, Letter of Instructions No. 50 was issued to provide guidelines for the implementation thereof;

WHEREAS, instead of promoting the said objective, the aforesaid issuances in effect paved the way for violations of the freedom of expression of the people;

WHEREAS, notwithstanding the repeal of the National Security Code which incorporated the aforesaid issuances and the evident inconsistency thereof with the mandate to make effective the guarantees of the rights and freedoms of the Filipino people under Proclamation No. 3, dated March 25, 1986, doubts still exist on whether or not the said issuance are still in force and effect;

WHEREAS, to erase the said doubts, there is a need to repeal expressly Presidential Decree No. 90 and Letter of Instructions No. 50;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CORAZON C. AQUINO, President of the Philippines, do hereby order the repeal of Presidential Decree No. 90 entitled “DECLARING UNLAWFUL RUMOR-MONGERING AND SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION” and Letter of Instructions No. 50, providing guidelines for the implementation of said Decree.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 21st day of November in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and eighty-six.

(Sgd.) CORAZON C. AQUINO
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) JOKER P. ARROYO
Executive Secretary

Source: Presidential Management Staff

Office of the President of the Philippines. (1986). [Executive Order Nos. : 1-170]. Manila : Presidential Management Staff.