Incumbent Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Jose Javier Reyes formally filed his counter-affidavit to the cyberlibel complaint of former FDCP chair Liza Diño-Seguerra.
He swore by his affidavit before prosecution attorney Sid Angelo Bautista at the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office on September 24, 2024.
Read: PEP files counter-affidavit to Liza Dino's cyberlibel complaint
The veteran director-screenwriter was accompanied by his legal counsel Mary Antonnette Baudi of Alonso and Associates Law Offices.
Reyes arrived at the fiscal's office minutes before his scheduled filing at 3 P.M.
He signed the handwritten minutes of the hearing at exactly 3:12 P.M.
Reyes was sued for cyberlibel in relation to a nine-part report published on PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in May 2023.
The report showed issues surrounding FDCP during Liza's tenure as chairperson.
Liza was appointed as FDCP chair from August 2016 to July 2022.
Asked for an official statement, Reyes's brief reply was: "OK. Let's now talk about the truth."
He did not elaborate on Liza's allegation against him.
liza diÑo suit against tirso cruz iii
Liza also filed the same cyberlibel complaint against Tirso Cruz III, who was appointed as FDCP chair from July 2022 until his resignation in March 2024.
Tirso submitted his counter-affidavit on July 31.
The following day, August 1, PEP obtained a statement from Atty. Baudi, Tirso's legal counsel, who emphasized that the allegation against her client is "unfounded and lacks merit."
Read: Tirso Cruz III, PEP file counter-affidavit to Liza Diño complaint
RESPONDENTS FROM PEP
Three PEP editors were named in the same cyberlibel suit: editor in chief Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon, associate editor Erwin Santiago, and deputy managing editor Rachelle Siazon.
Santiago and Siazon were present for the filing of their joint counter-affidavit during the hearing on Tuesday afternoon, September 24.
Maglipon appeared before the fiscal on Friday, September 20, to file and swear by her counter-affidavit to Liza's complaint.
In both occasions, the PEP editors were accompanied by their legal counsel Ana Alexandra Castro of Yorac Sarmiento Arroyo Chua Coronel Reyes Law Firm.
On July 26, Atty. Castro was quoted as saying there was "no malice" in the publication of the nine-part report as it was "a fair and true report, made in good faith, on the issues surrounding the FDCP."
She also emphasized that the PEP report involving Liza was "duly supported by relevant documents."