MANILA, Philippines — It's not yet over.
The camp of actor Richard Gutierrez said it will question the Department of Justice (DOJ) decision dismissing the P25-million libel suit the actor filed against editors and a reporter of the Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP).
Gutierrez's legal counsel, Angelica Santiago, said in an interview on GMA 7's Startalk that their camp is preparing an appeal.
The DOJ resolution dated July 9 dismissed the case for "lack of probable cause."
"May proseso ng apela para dito sa resolusyon na ito [There is a process for this resolution], so we do have the right to question that resolution of the DOJ and we intend to do that," Santiago said.
She said their camp will file the appeal within the next two weeks.
"We do have 15 days from the day we received it, which is yesterday. We have 15 days to question it. So within that time, isasampa na namin ang aming apela," she said.
Gutierrez said he did not expect that the case he filed against PEP would be immediately dismissed.
"Pakiramdam namin na hindi nabusisi ng husto ‘yung kaso namin [We feel the prosecutors involved failed to really appreciate the case]," he said in an interview aired on ]Startalk].
"Para sa akin at sa buong team namin, itutuloy namin ang laban [We are not giving up the fight]," he added.
Gutierrez filed last April a libel suit against PEP editor-in-chief Jo-Ann Maglipon, managing editor Karen Pagsolingan, and writer Bong Godinez for an article posted on PEP on March 29 saying that Gutierrez had a fight with actor Michael Flores at the birthday party of director Mark Reyes.
Gutierrez filed the case at the Makati Prosecutor's Office, but this was later transferred to the DOJ.
Gutierrez’s outspoken mother, talent manager Annabelle Rama, minced no words in lambasting the DOJ prosecutor for dismissing the case, alleging irregularity.
She also turned personal against PEP legal counsel Sandra Olaso-Coronel, who was seen smiling in one video footage as she was being interviewed.
Rama claimed that it was Coronel who arranged (nilakad) for the dismissal of the case.
The DOJ resolution dismissing the libel case penned by Associate Prosecutor Mary Jane Sytat said that Gutierrez, as a public figure, must not be "onion-skinned" and should be ready to "absorb the thrust of public scrutiny."
Coronel said the PEP camp "will go through the process" should the Gutierrez camp decide to file an appeal questioning the DOJ resolution.
