Libel vs Hataw ibinasura ng piskalya

ABSUWELTO ang kolumnista at iba pang opisyal ng pahayagang Hataw D’yaryo ng Bayan sa kasong libel na isinampa ng isang barangay chairman sa Maynila.

Sa inilabas na review resolution ni Assistant City Prosecutor Winnie Edad nitong Agosto 30, 2016, ibinasura niya ang kasong libel na inihain ni Ligaya Santos laban sa mga respondent na sina Percy Lapid, kolumnista; Jerry  Yap, publisher; Gloria Galuno, managing editor; at Edwin Alcala, circulation mana-ger.

Batay sa resolusyon ni ACP Edad, “After the preliminary investigation, Sr. ACP Renato Enciso, who handled the preliminary investigation, found probable to charged all respondents except Atty. Bertini Causting… After a review of the records however, the undersigned is of the opinion that the complaint should likewise be dismissed as against other respondents.

“It appears that the complainant as a former columnist of Hataw, an allegation which she did not deny, is estoppel from claiming that the Respondents Yap, Galuno and Alcala, who did not actually wrote the articles, where likewise responsible. Hataw has an editorial policy that only the author is responsible for his or her article and not automatically the opinion of the other responsible offi-cers of the paper.”

Sa respondent na si Lapid, na sumulat ng mga artikulo, nabigo ang complainant na patunayang umakto siya nang may ma-lisya. Bilang public official, ang katulad na subject articles ay “not perse libelous” at maaaring ikonsiderang “fair report on the matter,” ayon sa resolusyon.

“Public officers ought to be onion skinned when criticized while performing their duties. The defense such attack is to show their falsity by continuing to serve the people by being an example to others,” pahayag ng piskalya.

Ang  complainant  ay ilang beses din umanong iniugnay  sa  murder  sa ilang tao at sa operasyon ng illegal terminal sa Lawton na isinulat ni Lapid.

Batay sa mga kaakibat na dokumento at news clippings, ang complainant ay ilang beses naiugnay sa mga pagpatay at sa ope-rasyon ng illegal terminal.

Ayon sa prosecutor, totoo man o hindi ang alegas-yon, “is beside the point.”

 ( LEONARD BASILIO )