Rappler CEO Maria Ressa. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines鈥揟he Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46 has denied Rappler鈥檚 bid to dismiss the cyber libel case filed against the news agency by businessman Wilfredo Keng.
In a 12-page order, Manila RTC Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa dismissed the demurrer to evidence filed by its Executive Editor and CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos.
A听demurrer听to听evidence听is in effect a motion to dismiss filed by the accused after the prosecution finished its presentation of听evidence. The听demurrer听is anchored on the ground that the听evidence听presented by the prosecution is insufficient.
鈥淭he evidence for the prosecution is competent and sufficient to sustain the indictment for violation of Section 4 (C) (4) [Cyber libel] of Republic Act No. 10175 [Cybercrime Prevention Act] against all the accused,鈥� the court said.
The court said the arguments raised by Rappler is best threshed out in a full-blown trial.
The presentation of evidence beginning with the defense will start on December 6.
The subject of the cyber libel case was written by Santos in May 2012 claiming that businessman Keng lent his sports utility vehicle to then听Chief Justice Renato Corona.听
Apart from this, the story also cited an intelligence report that said听Keng had been under surveillance by the National Security Council for听alleged involvement in human trafficking and drug smuggling.
Keng filed the cyber libel complaint stating that the 2012 article was updated and re-posted on February 2014.