ni Reggee Bonoan @Sheet Matters | June 19, 2024
Kahapon nang umaga ay nag-file na ng kani-kanyang counter affidavit sina Ogie Diaz, Mama Loi at Ate Mrena sa Justice Hall ng Quezon City tungkol sa isinampang kasong two counts of cyber libel ng aktres na si Bea Alonzo kamakailan laban sa kanila.
Base sa two counts of cyber libel na isinampa ni Bea ay nanghihingi ito ng kabuuang P30 million for moral damages.
Ayon sa official statement ng lawyer ng Showbiz Update hosts na si Atty. Regie Tongol na kasama rin ang kanyang mga associates na dumalo sa filing na sina Atty. Rhinn Rivera, Atty. JM Cruel at Thea Gapasinao, “Today, my clients filed their separate Counter-Affidavits before Investigating Prosecutor Edward Seijo. Along with the filing of a Counter-Affidavit, our client Mama Loi also filed a counter-charge for perjury with damages against Ms. Alonzo since the Complaint-Affidavit made it appear she made defamatory utterances even though she has not said anything at all.
“In our seventy-page (70) Counter-Affidavit, we called out the Complainant by not clearly stating in her sixteen-page (16) Complaint-Affidavit the specific individuals who uttered the specific defamatory statements making it appear it was all Mr. Diaz who made them.
“Ms. Alonzo’s two counts of Cyberlibel even included the November 19, 2022 episode in the Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update YouTube channel. Meaning, it was filed way beyond the one-year prescriptive period for Cyberlibel. As to this count, we are very confident that the charge against our clients would be dismissed.
“They even failed to show clear and convincing proof of ‘actual malice’ whether in the form of ‘reckless disregard for the truth’ or ill-motive which is a legal requirement and standard if the Complainant is a public figure. The opinions expressed by Mr. Diaz’s co-hosts on the November 19, 2022 episode were merely based on a common truthful observation of the netizens of the performance of her show, Startup PH as pointed out in their several comments online.
“As to the second count which refers to episode February 12, 2024, the utterances there by Mr. Diaz’s co-hosts are not defamatory because being offered a role that was turned down by Marian Rivera-Dantes or any other actresses is not unusual given that Mrs. Rivera-Dantes is the undisputed queen of GMA. We proved that it is a common practice in both the local and foreign showbiz industry.
“By being an actress, the complainant in effect gave the public a legitimate interest in her life and in her work. Therefore, the subject posts and utterances by Mr. Diaz’s co-hosts are within the realm of fair comment on her work as one of the actresses in the Philippines contrary to their claim in the media that it was about her personal life.
“Under our laws ‘fair commentaries on matters of public interest are privileged and constitute a valid defense in an action for libel or slander’ because democracy would be meaningless without free discussion of public affairs, even at the cost of a few bruised egos.
“Other bloggers, writers, journalists and our clients should not be covered by the filing of cases just to suppress the freedom of expression and of the press by public figures who are too onion-skinned.”
At sa huling paragraph ay nabanggit ng abogado na "unjustified" at "unreasonable" ang hinihinging danyos na abot sa P30 milyon at nakatakda ring magsampa ng counter charges sina Ogie, Mama Loi at Ate Mrena.
“Our clients will fight this case with courage because they have no malicious intent and the thirty million pesos (P30,0000,000.00) damages being asked by Ms. Bea Alonzo in her complaint is not only unjustified and unreasonable but is also exorbitant. We are also ready to file other counter charges against Ms. Alonzo for malicious prosecution and damages for this suppression of our client’s freedom of the press and expression in due time.”
Sinubukan naming tanungin si Ogie tungkol sa kasong isasampa nila kay Bea pero hindi ito nagsalita, bagkus ay ang abogado nilang si Atty. Regie Tongol ang dapat daw kausapin.
Samantala, naka-black and white at may suot na shades si Bea nang mag-file siya ng kasong cyber libel at napansin naming ganito rin ang kasuotan nina Ogie, Mama Loi at
Ate Mrena kahapon nang mag-file sila ng counter affidavit.
Ito ba ang uso ngayon? Teka, asan ang shades, Ogie?
Bukas naman ang BULGAR sa panig ng kampo ni Bea Alonzo.
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