Just as we thought that interpretation of our libel laws are more liberalized in the heat of the election season when another libel case came ‘limping’ around like a groggy octogenarian. Courtesy of the feisty Carmen Mayor Che Toribio de los Reyes, the latest libel is the newest addition to two pending ones lodged in the RTC salas of Carmen and Talibon. No regrets, however. For all intents and purposes, it is well within the right of the complainant if she feels offended. The offending story must be libelous according to her evaluation thus provoking the better part of discretion to bring this BGlante to the bar of justice. The latest one is still in its preliminary stage and only the prosecuting investigator knows if it merits any consideration for filing in court. Should the investigator finds probable cause or prima facie evidence, then there goes the glory of a newsman considered veteran to the ways of libel.

Speaking of libel, since the time we cut our teeth on this newspaper business , more than 30 libel cases were already credited in our checkered name. The 30 included one which went all the way to the Supreme Court resulting in a landmark decision earning us an entry in Google. In Guingguing vs Court of Appeals, we fought tooth and nail to reverse a decision which convicted us in the Regional Trial Court in Cebu and affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The High Court through retired Justice Dante Tinga apparently knew any better than to reverse the adverse decision. After all is said and done, the same libel case earned us the reputation as the only local media to have escaped imprisonment by upholding the right of the respondent to win an acquittal in the high tribunal despite conviction in the lower court.

In fine, for all its concomitant dangers of running roughshod with the law, we still believe that the search for truth is still as perilous as ever. But as a famous US general once said, you can’t have omelet without breaking eggs. This explains why in our pursuit to seek the truth, we cannot help but step on some sensitive toes. And one of such toes is that of Mayor Che of Carmen who is a public official like the rest of her ilk whom we exposed in our earlier stories if only to send the chilling messagse that we respect no sacred cows in our quest for the truth. As for the lady mayor, the libel case stemmed from a story which found print in one of our issues where one of her former close aides accused her of being a drug user. The same accuser also tagged Mayor Che as having involved in alleged illegal drug traffic. Whether the accusations are indeed libelous is for the inquest to determine if we are probably guilty thereof or there’s no basis in truth and in fact to hale this BGlante to court. Whatever, no hurt feelings if we are found to have committed an infraction like libel against a public official like Mayor Che.