A Manila judge has ordered the arrest of a tabloid columnist, along with the newspaper’s managing editor and publisher, for allegedly writing a series of libelous articles against a barangay chairperson.
Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 34 presiding judge Liwliwa Hidalgo-Buco issued the arrest warrant against Hataw columnist Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid; managing editor Gloria Galuno; and publisher Jerry Yap.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Ligaya Santos, chairman of Barangay 659-A, Zone 71 in Manila, on Oct. 23, 2015 for six counts of libel.
Manila Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Rose Sharon Cordero-Abila found probable cause against the accused, saying the “personal attacks” against Santos were “made with actual malice.”
The City Prosecutor’s Office noted that while a wide latitude is given to critical utterances made against public officials, such criticism does not automatically fall within the ambit of constitutionally protected speech if the statements are proven to be false, malicious or unrelated to a public officer’s performance of his or her duties or irrelevant to public interest.
Santos’ lawyer, Redentor Viaje, noted that the accused personally know Santos as an upright citizen and a dedicated public servant, having been a regular columnist in the same tabloid for years.
“The respondents portrayed me as leader of vice syndicate, killer/murderer and blackmailer, psychotic, immoral and prostitute,” Santos said in her complaint.
She also accused Yap of asking for a P10,000 weekly payola, while Lapid received P2,000 weekly.
The barangay official alleged that when she could no longer afford to release money to the journalists, the accused started writing libelous column articles against her.