The Davao City Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the cyber libel case filed by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy against former senator and presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao.
“We are happy that the Office of the City Prosecutor in Davao City dismissed the case swiftly,” said Atty Ian Vincent Ludovice, one of Pacquiao’s lawyers, on Sunday, October 15.
“When we received the notice about Pastor Quiboloy’s complaint, I told Manny Pacquiao that this might be just related to the election and will just go away after it, especially that we have great lawyers in Davao City. True enough, the complaint was dismissed just a few months after the election and we thank the fair and speedy resolution of the Office of the Prosecutor of Davao City,” he added.
According to Prosecutor II Jose Charito Cortez II, Quiboloy’s camp did not present enough evidence regarding his allegations against the former senator.
Quiboloy complained about Pacquiao’s statements against him back then, during the height of the election. According to Quiboloy, what Pacquiao said was “purposely to malign, discredit, insult, and assassinate his character to his congregations and to the general public.”
According to Cortez’s resolution, what Pacquiao said to Quiboloy is “privileged communication” because Quiboloy is a public figure.
Cyber libel case Quiboloy filed against Pacquiao dismissed
“The complainant, in this case, failed to present sufficient proof of actual malice…”
“In this particular case, a complainant is a well-known private individual. He is not just a well-known individual in the City of Davao, rather he is also widely known all over the country due to his political endorsements to known government personalities during elections, evangelical missions, as well as to his commentaries on certain TV programs.”
In February, the cyber libel case filed by Senator Manny Pacquiao against Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has been dismissed by the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office.
Pacquiao’s counsel Nikki De Vega rejected the decision, stating that “a distinction must be made between mere criticism and the proliferation of fake news.”
In September 2021, presidential aspirant Pacquiao filed a P100-million cyber libel case against Quiboloy.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.