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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Makati City prosecutors junk Pacquiao's cyber libel complaint against Quiboloy

Makati City prosecutors junk Pacquiao's cyber libel complaint against Quiboloy

Published Feb 15, 2022 06:20 pm

Pastor Apollo Carreon Quiboloy

The cyber libel complaint filed by the now presidential candidate and Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao against King of Jesus Christ (KOJC) founder and presidential spiritual adviser Apollo C. Quiboloy has been dismissed by the Office of the City Prosecutor (OCP) of Makati City.

“After a thorough evaluation of the evidence on record, this Office resolves to dismiss the complaint,” ruled the OCP in a resolution signed by Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Kareen T. Tacorda Evangelista, Deputy City Prosecutor Josefa D. Laurente, and City Prosecutor Dindo G. Venturanza.

Quiboloy was charged by Pacquiao with libel under Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Pacquiao said that Quiboloy made libelous statements that was broadcast in 2021 in the pastor’s SMNI news channel.

Among the allegations cited in the complaint were statements of Pacquiao’s reported involvement in alleged anomalous construction projects of the Sarangani Province Sports Complex, Philippine Sports Training Center, and the Sarangani Sports Training Center.

The OCP noted that the senator asserted that “the Sarangani Complex is the one shown in the video of respondent, falsely misrepresented as the Sarangani Training Center and given a budget of P3.5 Billion” even though “it was the Philippine Training Center in Bagac, Bataan which has an appropriation of P3.5 Billion; the Sarangani Training Center in Abbel, Sarangani is yet to be funded and the Sarangani Complex which was shown in the video has an appropriation of only P300 Million.”

Among the five elements of libel, the OCP said “the element of actual malice is missing.”

“In this case, complainant is a public official and the statements made by respondent relates to his official conduct. However, complainant failed to prove that respondent made those statements with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard of whether they were false or not,” it explained.

Even if Quiboloy is a supporter of President Duterte who got angry at Pacquiao, the OCP said that this “does not automatically prove actual malice on the part of the respondent.”

“While it is possible that respondent could have known the truth about the existence of the three projects and their differences; and knowingly intertwined and twisted the facts to show that corruption is present thereat; and that complainant is the one responsible for the same, it is equally possible that respondent only made those statements as what was told to him by his research team, not knowing fully well that three projects were actually involved,” the OCP pointed out

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