It has been almost 9 years since the incident of the alleged airing of GMA 7 to the unauthorized footages of ABS-CBN’s coverage of the released of Angelo dela Cruz in July 22, 2004 by the Iraqi militants. The said footages was also aired via Reuters where GMA 7 use it on their broadcast, but according to the report of Rappler.com ABS-CBN affirms that they have arrangement with Reuters that any footage coming from the network would be considered under “embargo” from other Philippine-based media.
The situation heated between the two rival networks where anchors Erwin Tulfo and Linda Jumilla in the defunct evening news entitled Insider used the words pamimirata and pagnanakaw which was used by GMA 7 as basis for libel case against the members of the TV program and several executives including the ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III, Beth Frondoso, Maria Progena Estonillo Reyes, Annie Eugenio, Dondi Garcia, Luis Alejandro, Jose Ramon Olives, Jesus Maderazo, Luchi Cruz-Valdes, Jose Magsaysay Jr, Alfonso Marquez, Tulfo and Jumilla. In 2010 the Court sided to the favor of ABS-CBN and junked the libel case which in 2011 the Court of Appeal dismisses the case.
Recently, the Department of Justice Leila de Lima ordered prosecutors to file the libel charges against the Kapamilya Network which was reported in Rappler.com and De Lima confirms that GMA7 showed all 4 elements that constitute the crime of libel which include: defamatory imputation tending to cause dishonor; malice, either in law or in fact; publication; and identifiability of the person defamed. With this a warrant of arrest were issued to the said executives and journalists who are connected in the said case. And last February 18 Gabby Lopez and other 12 executives and journalists posted bail amounting to Php 20, 000 for two counts of libel at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. In connection with this the TV Network releases an official statement through Bong R. Osorio, Head, ABS-CBN Integrated Corporate Communications:
“The respondents to the libel case have voluntarily surrendered to the court and posted bail in accordance with law. They nevertheless firmly maintain that the libel charge has no basis in fact and law.
In truth, it was the complainant who used ABS-CBN footage without its authority and consent and was thus charged by ABS-CBN with copyright infringement.
The respondents will avail themselves of all legal remedies to question the findings of probable cause for the arrest warrants issued by the RTC of Quezon City.
It is unfortunate that the respondents are being pilloried as criminals, when in fact, it was ABS-CBN whose rights were violated. They are confident that this libel suit will eventually be dismissed.”
The said statement was released yesterday, February 18 and up to date the camp is waiting for the next step on the case of libel issued to them. Meanwhile, there’s a mix of opinions regarding the said issue and De Lima’s decision shown in the comment page of Rappler’s report and in other social media sites.
