Masaya ang magiging Pasko ng former ABS-CBN entertainment reporter na si Marie Lozano dahil absuwelto siya sa libel case na isinampa laban sa kanya ng kapwa niya ABS-CBN entertainment reporter na si Gretchen Fullido.
Si Presiding Judge Juris Dilinila-Callanta ng Branch 85 ng Regional Trial Court ng Quezon City ang nagpawalang-sala kay Lozano.
Nakasaad sa kanyang desisyon: “Accused Marie Milagros K. Lozano is hereby ACQUITTED of the crime charged for failure of the prosecution to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt. No cost.”
Tumagal ng pitong taon ang pagdinig sa kaso laban kay Lozano dahil nag-umpisa ito noong Enero 19, 2018, at natapos noong Disyembre 11, 2025, nang basahan siya ng hatol.
Nakasaad noon sa impormasyon ng reklamo ni Fullido na, “That on or about the 19th day of January 2018, at ABS-CBN in Quezon City, the said accused did then and there willfully, unlawfully, feloniously, and with malicious intent make a defamatory statement in her Affidavit, submitted to ABS-CBN Ad Hoc Investigating Committee tasked to investigate a complaint for sexual harassment involving one Cheryl Favila, one Maricar Asprec and Complainant Gretchen Marie G. Fullido, by stating therein statement, quoted hereunder, which the accused knew was malicious and was made in bad faith with no other purpose than to cast discredit and dishonor, and to impeach and besmirch the good name, integrity, credibility, virtue and reputation of complainant Gretchen Marie G. Fullido, to the damage and prejudice of the said offended party.
“12. The first thing that came to mind as the reason why Gretchen filed a complaint is that she wanted to hold on to Star Patrol. Before all this, rumors were spreading that time has come for her to be replaced after celebrity patrollers started sitting in for Gretchen.
“The issue blew up after Kim Chiu, whose stint was a trending topic, said (in Mario Dumaual’s report) that she was ready to do Star Patrol anytime. This aired as Gretchen was back as Star Patrol anchor. Entertainment reports from other networks and publications immediately talked to me about it.”
judge's decision on Gretchen's libel case against Marie
Nakasaad sa apatnapu't apat na pahinang desisyon ng korte na wala itong nakitang pang-iinsulto o nakasisirang-puri sa mga pahayag ni Lozano.
“Even assuming that, for some reason that Fullido got hurt about the foregoing statements, it has been ruled in MVRS Publications, et al, vs. Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines, Inc. et al that the mere fact that the plaintiff’s feelings and sensibilities have been offended is not enough to create a cause of action for defamation. Defamation requires that something be communicated to a third person that may affect the opinion others may have of the plaintiff.
“Likewise, insulting words are not actionable as libel per se, and a consequent personal embarrassment does not mean this is automatically equivalent to defamation.
“The court must still be satisfied that, from the entirety of the impugned writing, it is defamatory. Unfortunately for this case, this court was not satisfied that, based on the totality of evidence presented, the entirety of the impugned writing was defamatory. To the mind of this court, the alleged defamatory statement is not defamatory at all, enough to create a cause of action for defamation.”