Businessman Wilfredo Keng to present new evidence in libel case vs. Rappler

The complainant behind a pending libel case against online news site Rappler is expected to submit new evidence before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The panel of prosecutors handling the cyber libel complaint filed by businessman Wilfredo Keng set a July 17 hearing for filing the affidavit of a new witness.

Keng has sued Rappled based on an article it published in 2012 liking him to a vehicle used by the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona. The article also cited an intelligence report claiming that the businessman was placed under surveillance by the National Security Council for his involvement in “human trafficking and drug smuggling.”

Named respondents to the complaint were then Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, and other company officers.

Before the complaint was transmitted to the DOJ, Santos and Ressa asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to drop its probe and argued that they did not commit cyber libel in the article.

They argued that the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 was enacted in September 2012, four months after the article was published. Unless otherwise provided, laws cannot be applied retroactively, they said, citing the New Civil Code.

Libel cases have a one year proscription, after which a person can no longer be prosecuted, the respondents noted.

 Keng filed the complaint last year.

The NBI transmitted the complaint to the DOJ for preliminary investigation last March. —VDS, GMA News