‘The Firm’ turns table on Frank Chavez

No libel. This was the gist of CVC law firm’s counter-affidavit in the libel complaint filed against them by former Solicitor General Frank Chavez, whose track record the CVC allegedly described as “unblemished by victory." In the counter-affidavit, Raoul Angangco, senior managing partner of CVC law offices (Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco, or more popularly known as “The Firm"), said there was nothing libelous about the assailed statement as it was a mere reaction to Chavez’s accusations of influence peddling against them. “(The statement) cannot be considered as libelous since Chavez's track record while he was a public official is a matter that the public may openly discuss and comment on," Angangco said. The assailed statement came out in a news article on the May 21, 2010 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Chavez had accused two senior members of The Firm — Avelino “Nonong" Cruz and Simeon Marcelo — of positioning themselves for plum posts in the administration of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III. He said Cruz, a former Defense secretary, is eyeing the position of executive secretary while Marcelo, a former Ombudsman, wants to be appointed to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), the eight-man panel that screens nominees for vacant judicial posts. Angangco said Chavez’s libel complaint should be dismissed because it was Chavez himself who cast the first stone, and that they were only reacting. He also said the assailed statement was hardly defamatory, and that it was only hurtful to Chavez because such was his own assessment of himself. “In fact, his complaint affidavit is the one that is defamatory of him, which includes a bio-data even thicker than the complaint affidavit," Angangco said. He also chided Chavez for allegedly showing “ingratitude," noting that F. Arthur Villaraza, another senior partner of the Firm, was among those who contributed sums of money to help Chavez complete his law education. “Again, instead of showing thanks to those that helped him, complainant Chavez surprisingly had nothing but ingratitude… Respondents were thus totally surprised by the filing of the instant suit by one to whom they extended helping hands and generosity," Angangco said. Also slapped with libel were Philippine Daily Inquirer nation editor Pergentino Bandayrel and senior business writer Daxim Lucas. - KBK, GMANews.TV