DOJ reverses libel raps vs Syjuco: 'Withdraw the charges,' Justice Secretary orders
For failure to prove that it was Secretary Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco himself who sent out press statements deemed libelous by a former aide, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez reversed and set aside an earlier Resolution of the Bacolod City Prosecutors Office.
As such, a corresponding Order was issued directing the withdrawal of two criminal informations for Libel, thus indicting Syjuco.
The Secretary is the Director-General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and sole respondent in I.S. Nos. 07-975 and 07-1082.
In an eight-paged Resolution, Justice Gonzalez began by stating that the Petition for Review filed by Syjuco's camp "is impressed with merit."
"Undoubtedly, the crux of the controversy is the existence of the alleged statement of respondent… Respondent invigorate his defense on the stand that no pieces of evidence were adduced to prove that he caused or authored the publication of the alleged statements… It is thus clear that there is no specific reference that respondent had caused the publication, or was even the source of the alleged news stories," excerpts of the Resolution went while adding that the author of the alleged quoted statements as published "remained unquestionable and tainted with incongruities."
As such, Justice Gonzalez added, "doubts subsisting, it is therefore inequitable and undeserved to conclude that respondent is liable for the alleged publication of the news stories alleged to be libelous."
The Resolution to reverse was further summed up, "given the fact that the source of the alleged news stories are put to doubts, it is therefore undeniably unjust to indict respondent for the existence of doubts did not engender a well-founded belief that respondent committed the offense charged."
Secretary Syjuco in said Petition for Review was aided by counsel, promising Ilonggo lawyer Joviel Edama.