Ces Drilon on revived libel complaint: ‘It’s absurd’

MANILA, Philippines – Veteran broadcast journalist Ces Drilon on Saturday, May 11, described as “absurd” the decision of the Quezon City chief prosecutor to reverse an earlier finding dismissing the libel complaints filed against her and two ABS-CBN colleagues.

“For merely participating in a legal internal process mandated by our employer, we could end up in jail for libel,” Drilon said in a statement sent to Rappler. “It’s absurd.”

Reversing its earlier decision, the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has recommended the filing of libel charges against Drilon and colleagues Marie Lozano and Venancio Borromeo following the complaints of ABS-CBN reporter Gretchen Fullido against them.

The resolutions, dated April 29 and signed by Quezon City Chief Prosecutor Vimar Barcellano, were first reported by Pep.ph on Friday, May 10.

The issue stems from a sexual harassment complaint that Fullido had filed against her former TV Patrol producers Cheryl Favila and Maricar Asprec.

In separate complaints, Fullido then said that Drilon, Lozano, and Borromeo “besmirched her reputation” by saying that she filed the sexual harassment complaints to leverage her employment status at the network.

Drilon noted that they merely took part in an internal investigation at ABS-CBN. 

“Our opinions were solicited, not volunteered, as part of an internal review by our employer,” she said in her statement. “We complied and made no effort to publicly express our opinions during or after the process. As a matter of fact, our affidavits were given to the media by Fullido’s camp.”

In January, the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the libel complaints against the 3. The prosecutors who initially cleared them were Assistant City Prosecutor Arceli Ragsac, Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Chief Dindo Venturanza, and Deputy City Prosecutor Maria Lelibet Sia-Sampaga.

But city chief prosecutor Barcellano reversed their decision, saying there was probable cause to charge the 3 in court. – Rappler.com