The Bacolod City Prosecutor's Office has dismissed a complaint for three counts of libel filed by a contractor against two Bacolod journalists for insufficiency of evidence.
Dismissed was a complaint filed by contractor Bernabe Gilbor against journalists Edgar Cadagat and Jeffrey Gellandre.
Gilbor charged that the two uttered libelous statements against him on their radio program "Tungkarun Ta Ini" that were malicious and not supported by documentary evidence, hence fabricated and concocted.

The respondents, on the other hand, said their expose against Gilbor are based on documents and the issues they raised are valid because public works constructions affect public interest and collusion in public bidding is a criminal offense.

The prosecutor’s resolution citing Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code said “Libel is a public and malicious imputation of a crime, or vice or defect, real or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.”

Associate Prosecuting Attorney Jane Dee Maderazo in separate resolutions dated March 2 and 5 approved by City Prosecutor ArnaldoAbanado said the evidence presented by Gilbor was insufficient -- there are two respondents in the case and it is not clear what was said by each of them that were allegedly libelous, she said.

Assistant City Prosecutor Therese Blanche Bolunia also dismissed a separate libel case filed against the two in a resolution dated February 3 for insufficiency of evidence.

Gilbor had filed 28 libel cases against them, the majority of which have been dismissed, Cadagat said.*CPG

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