The Regional Trial Court (RTC) here has ordered police authorities to return to court the warrants of arrest issued against a local newspaper publisher and an editor-in-chief who were both facing libel charges lodged by former House Speaker Prospero Nograles.
This after Edgar Velez and Roger Balanza, publisher and editor-in-chief, respectively of Durian Post, surfaced in court and posted bail in a total amount of P20,000 and P10,000 for each of them for two counts of libel.
RTC Branch 11 Presiding Judge Virginia Europa earlier ordered the arrest of Balanza and Velez.
Europa earlier granted the request of Velez and Balanza to reduce the recommended bail for their temporary liberty from P10,000 to P5,000 for each case.
Europa then scheduled the arraignment of Velez and Balanza on Nov. 19.
Earlier, then acting Davao City Prosecutor Neopito Magno dropped the two libel cases against Velez and Balanza, but he also forwarded the two other counts before RTC against the same persons.
The case stemmed from four news articles written by Balanza and published on Durian Post’s issue on Feb. 15-21, and Feb. 22-28, 2010.
Nograles claimed that the publication was made to discredit, defame, dishonor and destroy his reputation since there was no effort on the part of the writer to get his side on the alleged derogatory article. (PNA)
RMA/Jessie L. Casalda/lvp
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=33534.0
