MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte yesterday filed a libel complaint against former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office chairman Manuel "Manoling" Morato and 10 others over the publication of an article accusing her of graft. The case stemmed from the Feb. 15 banner story of tabloid Saksi Ngayon, which Belmonte said maliciously implied that she committed a crime despite its basis being a complaint and not an actual court ruling. A group of volunteer lawyers led by former Quezon City councilor and Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board board member Ariel Inton would represent the vice mayor in the case. Incorrect, maliciouslyIn her 23-page complaint, Belmonte said Morato gave an interview and served as the source of the article, which claimed that she committed graft by approving a resolution that allegedly favored her three brothers. In a statement, Saksi Ngayon stood by its story, saying it was based on a legitimate claim and that it should be left to the public to decide whether their story was "fake news" or not.

Source: Philippine Star February 19, 2019 03:30 UTC