Hindi lamang ang kanyang estranged wife na si Lindsay Custodio ang sinampahan ng cyberlibel complaint ni Frederick Cale.
Kasama rin sa kanyang reklamo ang PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) editor-in-chief na si Jo-Ann Maglipon, PEP columnist Jojo Gabinete, Smart Parenting editor-in-chief Ronna Capili-Bonifacio, Smart Parenting writer Hanna Panoringan, at former Summit Media publisher Edna Tangcongco-Belleza.
Read: Lindsay Custodio's estranged husband files cyber libel vs actress
Nakasaad sa bahagi ng complaint-affidavit ni Cale na nagsampa siya ng kaso laban sa mga nabanggit dahil sa panayam kay Lindsay na nailathala sa PEP at Smart Parenting noong Mayo 2024.
Ayon kay Cale, ang mga pahayag ni Lindsay sa nailathalang artikulo ay nakasira sa kanyang pagkatao at reputasyon.
“Both posts and publication on-line were published by PEP.ph and smartparenting.ph, both under the Summit Media, through the highly fabricated and false stories of the Respondent Custodio-Cale containing malicious imputations with bad intentions and unjustifiable motives, purposely to malign, dishonor, discredit, insult, and assassinate my character and good reputation to the public,” bahagi ng pahayag ni Cale sa kanyang complaint-affidavit.
Inihain ni Cale ang kanyang reklamo sa Prosecutor’s Office ng Mandaue City, Cebu.
Naganap naman ang preliminary investigation kahapon, Marso 4, 2025.
Dinaluhan ito ni Lindsay at ng iba pang sinampahan ng reklamo ni Cale.
Inasahan din ang pagdalo ni Cale ngunit hindi ito dumating dahil, ayon sa kanyang legal counsel na si Atty. Modesto Lacambra, na present sa preliminary hearing, nasa Canada ang kanyang kliyente.
Read: Lindsay Custodio, traumatized bride on wedding day
OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF PEP AND SMART PARENTING'S LEGAL COUNSEL
Samantala, naglabas ng opisyal na pahayag si Atty. Alex Castro ng Azcuna Yorac Sarmiento Arroyo Chua Coronel & Reyes Law Firm, ang legal counsel ng PEP at Smart Parenting, kaugnay ng isinampang reklamo ni Cale.
Nakasaad dito: "In their Counter-Affidavit filed on 5 March 2025, the PEP and Smart Parenting editors argued that the complaint should be dismissed because two essential elements of the crime of cyberlibel are lacking.
"First, the element of allegation by the respondents of a discreditable act or condition concerning the complainant is not present, as PEP and Smart Parenting merely reported on the information provided by Ms. Lindsay Custodio, sans any personal comments or opinions.
"Second, the element of the existence of malice on the part of the respondents is also lacking as the subject articles are fair and true reports, made in good faith, on the information provided by Ms. Custodio, as confirmed by relevant documents.
"In light of the foregoing, it is the position of PEP and Smart Parenting that the subject complaint filed against them for cyberlibel should be dismissed."