Remove defamatory posts and false accusations online

Can a defamatory Facebook post be removed in the Philippines?

Yes, often, but rarely because it is “libel”. Facebook does not judge who is telling the truth. It removes posts that break its Community Standards: insults and degrading claims aimed at a private person (bullying and harassment), a home address or phone number shared to expose someone, a fake account posting in your name, or an edited photo used to humiliate you. A large share of defamatory posts fall under one of these rules.

When a post only states something false, without breaking a rule, Meta offers a separate defamation reporting form and may restrict the post in the country where it is unlawful. That route is slower and less certain, and a court decision helps a lot. Our job is to find the strongest ground for each link.

What counts as defamation online in the Philippines

Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code defines libel as a public and malicious imputation of a crime, a vice or defect, or any act or condition that tends to dishonour, discredit or bring into contempt a person, living or dead, or a company. Article 355 punishes libel made in writing or by similar means. The Cybercrime Prevention Act (RA 10175, Section 4(c)(4)) makes the same libel a cybercrime when it is committed through a computer system, with a penalty one degree higher (Section 6).

• Imputation: a statement of fact about you, such as “she stole from the cooperative”, not a mere opinion or rude word.
• Publication: at least one person other than you saw it. A public post, a group thread or a shared screenshot qualifies.
• Identification: readers can tell it is you, even without your full name.
• Malice: Article 354 presumes it, except for private communications made in good faith out of duty and fair reports of official proceedings.

The Supreme Court ruled in Disini v. Secretary of Justice (2014) that only the original author is liable for cyber libel, not people who simply react to or share the post. We explain the rules so you understand the routes; we are not a law firm and do not give legal advice.

Cyber libel and the one-year deadline

How long a victim has to file a cyber libel complaint was debated for years. In Causing v. People (G.R. No. 258524), the Supreme Court held that cyber libel prescribes one year from discovery of the post, and the Court en banc affirmed it on 8 April 2026 by an 8 to 7 vote. If you are thinking of a case, talk to a lawyer early. Removing the post does not stop you from filing, as long as the evidence is saved first.

What you can do yourself, for free

• Save the evidence first: screenshots that show the post, the account name, the date and the full URL, plus the comments and shares. A screenshot without the link is weak evidence.
• Report the post yourself with the platform’s report button, choosing harassment or bullying when it fits.
• Do not reply in the comments or post a counter-attack: it spreads the post and can be used against you.
• File a complaint with the NBI Cybercrime Division or the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group if you want the author prosecuted. You, the victim, make that complaint, usually with a lawyer; the CICC hotline 1326 can guide you.

What each platform removes

Each platform has its own community rules and, separately, a legal route for content that is unlawful in the Philippines. The community rules are faster.

How we remove defamatory posts

1. Free assessment. Send us the links on Messenger or through the form. We read each post and tell you which ones can go, on what ground, and the price, before you pay.
2. Evidence file. We save dated screenshots and URLs of every post, so your evidence survives the removal.
3. Reports under your written authorisation. We file the reports to the platform with the right policy and the facts that support it. We never log into your account and never contact the author.
4. Google and copies. We ask Google to refresh or drop results and handle copies on blogs, pages and groups, then follow up until each link has a decision.

Defamatory articles on news sites follow the publisher route described on our page to remove a news article. For posts on Facebook only, see remove Facebook posts about you; for a dummy account behind the attacks, we remove fake accounts. Packs are on our content removal prices page.

What we refuse, and what we leave to a lawyer

• True reports of public interest: accurate posts about a public official, a court case or a proven fraud. We refuse these requests.
• Court cases: we do not file complaints, send demand letters or draft affidavits. A lawyer does; our evidence file helps.
• Opinions and genuine reviews of your business stay online. Fake or abusive reviews are a separate service: remove fake reviews.
• No guarantee: the platform or Google decides. We tell you plainly what remains.