Leila de Lima has filed House Bill 8718, or the Campus Press Freedom Act, aimed at strengthening the rights of student journalists.
She said the existing Campus Journalism Act (Republic Act 7079) has major flaws, including the non-mandatory collection of publication fees and the absence of a penalty clause.
The bill seeks to repeal the current law and require all schools from elementary to tertiary levels to establish student publications.
It also proposes funding through publication fees collected by school administrations.
Under the measure, violations against campus journalists may be punished with fines of P150,000 to P250,000 or imprisonment of one to five years.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 20, 2026
