DOJ orders withdrawal of cyber libel raps vs. Annabelle Rama

The Department of Justice has ordered Las Piñas prosecutors to withdraw the cyber libel charges filed against talent manager Annabelle Rama-Gutierrez by Jayke Joson.

In a resolution promulgated on November 21, the DOJ granted Rama’s petition for review assailing the March 30 resolution of the Office of the Prosecutor in Las Piñas City that found probable cause against her for two counts of cyber libel.

The DOJ ordered the prosecutors to withdraw the corresponding information filed before the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court Branch 253.

“Accordingly, with the elements of cyber libel not having been fully met and the venue having been improperly laid, we cannot sustain a finding of probable cause,” the DOJ said.

For its part, the Las Piñas City RTC Branch 253 granted the motion to withdraw the information.

"The abovecited information are now withdrawn from the docket of this Court. The manifestation filed by the accused on December 1, 2022 is noted. The hearings of these cases on December 5, 2022 is canceled," it said in an order.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Joson against Rama due to her alleged defamatory posts on Instagram in October 2021.

However, the DOJ said that Rama never admitted that she was the author of the statements and Joson had failed to establish evidence that Rama was the author of the alleged libelous materials.

Further, it said that Joson failed to assert which particular statements in the posts were defamatory in nature.

The DOJ said he also failed to show actual malice on the part of Rama.  

GMA News Online has reached out to Atty. Larry Gadon, the legal counsel of Joson, but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time.

Meanwhile, the camp of Rama welcomed the outcome.

“Of course, we are very happy about it. Ako, personally, I was relieved because, before, Tita Annabelle really wanted to respond to the media regarding this case,” Atty. Maggie Abraham-Garduque, Rama’s legal counsel, said in a statement.

“[B]ut I just told her to remain silent and just trust the legal proceedings.  At least now she can travel without worrying about that case,” she added.

Meanwhile, Abraham-Garduque said Rama has already testified in the cyber libel case she filed against Joson in Quezon City RTC Branch 90.

She said Rama will be the last witness on the next hearing on December 6, Tuesday.

“In the end, Tita Annabelle would like to thank all the people who prayed, supported, and believed in her while these cases were being filed against her,” Abraham-Garduque said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News