The filing of the libel case against the Post by Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) national federation president Jane Censoria Cajes may be a surprise but not unexpected. It is a surprise because public officials are not supposed to be onion-skinned but not unexpected because it is the refuge of those who are. For us who have endured far greater challenges and threats in the past, a libel case is a discomfort that you would prefer to be free from but a challenge you will have to face nonetheless. The filing of a libel case shows how unpredictable relationships can go in the life of a journalist. A friend today can be an adversary tomorrow and vice versa. It also shows the choices that journalists have to make in the practice of the profession. It is always a joy to hit hard at an enemy, to fry an adversary, to roast a pet peeve. It is a different thing when you come out with a story that is unflattering to a friend, relative or someone you have special relations with.

This is one of those times.

Regular readers no doubt can recall numerous times when the complainant received glowing tributes in this paper. Some readers in fact felt some of those tributes were undeserved – made their feelings known. Public service, however, is a mixed bag. You take the bad with the good. A libel case these days could be like jumping from the frying pan to the fire. This is because truth has become a defense in libel cases. If the allegations are proven true, it will get the journalist off the hook. That being the case, it would be natural for the Post to hope that the complaints filed against Cajes would be proven true for obvious reasons. It would be the way out of this legal inconvenience.

Unfortunately for Cajes, that would mean her conviction in the cases filed against her before the Ombudsman. As the saying goes, one man's meat is another man's poison. Many people do not take kindly to the filing of a libel case. One is tempted to suspect that it is done to prevent the issue from being discussed openly. This is a strange thing to do for one who has professed innocence of the charges. The allegations that prompted the filing of the libel case show the perils that public servants face in the conduct of their official functions. On the other hand, the filing of the case shows that perils that journalists have to deal with in the course of the practice of their profession. There will always be perils in life. This is one peril a journalist loves to face.