Libel Case Against Journalist Raffled to Another Judge

(PNA) — The libel case former Cebu City mayor and congressman Tomas Osmeña filed against broadcaster and columnist Pablito “Bobby” Nalzaro has been raffled to another judge.

The case was raffled off to the sala of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 23 Judge Generosa Labra.

The case was ordered re-raffled after RTC Branch 5 Judge Ricky Jones Macabaya inhibited himself from hearing the libel case to avoid suspicion of bias.

Macabaya was the public prosecutor in the libel case Osmeña filed against businessman Jonathan Guardo at the height of the 2010 elections.

Guardo ran but lost the House seat to Osmeña in 2010.

Osmeña charged Guardo with libel after the latter accused him of trying to stop his distribution of food to fire victims in Barangay Calamba.

Osmeña said Guardo’s statements were false and without basis.

Osmeña and Guardo later reached a compromise agreement and the former mayor dropped the libel case against the businessman, who also apologized.

In Nalzaro’s case, Osmeña alleged that Nalzaro besmirched his reputation when the broadcaster accused him of fabricating charges when he filed multiple administrative complaints against Cebu City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas before the Civil Service Commission.

Nalzaro, a Sun.Star Cebu and Sun.Star SuperBalita columnist and host of radio DYSS program “Saksi” and GMA 7 Cebu news program “24 Oras” denied he maligned Osmeña. He argued that his column was written solely in response to his “journalistic duty.”

Nalzaro pointed out that he used the phrase “fabricated charges” in his column after he read the Commission on Audit report, which he said would show that Cuevas could not be criminally or administratively held liable for the city’s fiscal management. (PNA) LAP/RCK/EB/EDS