The Las Piñas City Prosecutor’s Office has decided to file two counts of cyber libel in court against talent manager Annabelle Rama-Gutierrez for allegedly maligning and damaging the name and reputation of businessman Joher Jake Joson.

The filing of the cases was contained in a resolution recommended by Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Donald H. Macasaet and approved by City Prosecutor Marylin Cynthia Fatima Madamba Luang.

It was not known immediately if the cases have been filed before the regional trial court (RTC) of Las Piñas City or if Rama-Gutierrez has appealed the ruling before the Office of the Prosecutor General, acting as regional prosecutor for the National Capital Region of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The prosecutor’s office has found Rama-Gutierrez to have violated Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, with her posts in her social-media Instagram account dated Oct. 20 and 22, 2021.

Joson sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Oct. 27, 2021. NBI later on recommended the filing of cybel libel complaints against Rama-Gutierrez and accompanied Joson to the Las Piñas City Prosecutor’s office last January 31.

Joson’s complaint was filed through lawyers Larry Gadon, Ramon Esguerra and Rean Balisi.

He told the prosecutors that Rama-Gutierrez called him “a thief” by accusing him of stealing P140 million together with talent manager Arnold Vegafria from former Senator and retired boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao. He also said the he was subjected to “other insulting malicious remarks” through her Instagram posts on Oct. 20, 2021.

In a sworn statement, Vegafria affirmed that the social media statements of Rama-Gutierrez contained malicious imputations to malign, dishonor, discredit and insult the character of complainant Joson.

In her defense, Rama-Gutierrez alleged that she does not have enough skills to post commentaries in social media.

She told the prosecutors that her social media accounts are handled by another individual who is mainly responsible for the commentaries posted on the accounts.

She also pointed out that none of the elements constituting cybel libel are present in her posts which were subjects of the complaint.

But the Office of the City Prosecutor (OPC) rejected Rama-Gutierrez’s allegations. It said:

“After a careful analysis of the evidences filed by the parties and their respective arguments, the undersigned found a probable cause to indict herein respondent for violation of Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 4(C)(4) of Republic Act No. 10175.

“Respondent’s (Rama-Gutierrez) allegations that she was not the one who made the subject commentaries against the complainant (Joson) smacks of a denial which is a self-serving defense which is not enough to overturn our findings that she may have committed the crime charged against her.”