Sharon Cuneta, Kiko Pangilinan withdraw cyberlibel charges after Cristy Fermin issues public apology
By Neil Ramos
Actress Sharon Cuneta and her husband, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, have officially withdrawn the cyberlibel complaint they filed in court against veteran showbiz journalist Cristy Fermin.
The couple initiated the charges in May last year, alleging “baseless” and “malicious” remarks made on Fermin’s online show, “Showbiz Now Na.”
The turning point came when Fermin aired a sincere apology on her YouTube program on June 28.
She expressed regret, saying:
“Ngayon, pwede kong sabihin — humihingi ako ng paumanhin kung nasaktan kita sa mga sinabi ko.”
On July 8, all three met in a Makati court session and officially retracted the complaint.
Showbiz columnist Ogie Diaz shared a photo of the trio smiling together, captioned:
“Nakakatuwa. Okay na sila ngayon. Matapos humingi ng public apology si Ate Cristy Fermin … para iurong ang kaso.”
Following the withdrawal, Cuneta took to Facebook, posting:
“’Di basta naitatapon at nalilimot ang pagkakaibigan. Napakadaling ipagpatuloy ang pagmamahalan! My heart is so happy and at peace.”
Diaz further emphasized that reconciliation and heartfelt dialogue can triumph over legal confrontations:
“Hindi naman sa korte lang lagi ang lugar para ipaglaban ang karapatan at katotohanan … Hanggang sa pairalin ang pagpapatawad.”