Push Admin

Cusi withdraws libel, cyberlibel complaints vs ABS-CBN, other news orgs

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi presides over a PDP-Laban meeting confirming their resolution endorsing Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. as the party’s candidate for president for the May 9 election. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/06/24/20220322-pdp-laban-endorsement-jc-034004000_ios.jpg"/><figcaption>Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi presides over a PDP-Laban meeting confirming their resolution endorsing Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. as the party’s candidate for president for the May 9 election. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong>— Outgoing Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Friday withdrew his libel and cyberlibel complaints against ABS-CBN Corp. and 6 other news organizations over their stories on the Malampaya deal. </p><p>Cusi, in a Department of Energy (DOE) statement, said he wanted to &quot;move forward&quot; from what happened, noting the &quot;valuable&quot; friendships and relationships he had with the respondents. He added that he wanted to &quot;preserve&quot; these.</p><p>&quot;Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi today (24 June) executed an affidavit of desistance with the Taguig City’s Prosecutor Office to withdraw the separate libel and cyber libel complaints,&quot; the statement read. </p><p>“Despite the hurt feelings and damage done to my name, a deeper reflection on what has transpired has led to the realization that the many interactions with the respondents have undeniably resulted in the forging of valued friendships and professional relationships,&quot; he added. </p><p>Cusi earlier claimed that news organizations&#x27; Malampaya deal stories, which quoted the graft complaint against him, damaged his reputation and good standing in government. </p><p>He was seeking P200 million in damages from ABS-CBN Corp, company CEO Carlo Katigbak and ABS-CBN News Digital chief Executive Editor Lynda Jumilla over the <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/19/21/cusi-dennis-uy-face-graft-complaint-over-malampaya-sale">story</a>.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/12/06/21/cusi-sues-for-cyberlibel-over-story-on-malampaya">Cusi sues ABS-CBN for cyberlibel over graft complaint on Malampaya deal</a></li></ul><p>ABS-CBN News&#x27; story was based on the filing of a graft complaint before the Ombudsman against Cusi, billionaire Dennis Uy and several others over the sale of Chevron’s stake in the Malampaya project to the Davao-based businessman’s Udenna Corp. </p><p>The complainants, Balgamel de Belen Domingo, Rodel Rodis, and Loida Nicolas Lewis, alleged that anomalies in the Malampaya Project resulted in &quot;a minimum of over P21 to 42 billion in total losses to the government.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/04/22/fair-true-accurate-reports-abs-cbn-execs-journalist-refute-dennis-uys-cyber-libel-raps">&#x27;Fair, true, accurate reports&#x27;: ABS-CBN execs, journalist refute Dennis Uy’s cyber libel raps</a></li></ul><p>The story also mentioned Cusi’s earlier defense of the Malampaya deal wherein he denied it was a “midnight deal”, as well as Udenna’s statement that the transaction was above board. </p><p>ABS-CBN&#x27;s executives, in their counter-affidavit, said there was nothing defamatory or malicious in the article that the website of ABS-CBN News published regarding the complaint. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/18/22/not-defamatory-not-malicious-abs-cbn-execs-defend-cusi-malampaya-article">Not defamatory, not malicious: ABS-CBN execs defend Cusi Malampaya article</a></li></ul><p>Six other news organizations were slapped with a similar suit. These include Rappler, GMA News Media, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation, Philstar Global Corporation, Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc., and BusinessWorld Publishing.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2056206" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Cusi said he wanted to 'move forward' from what happened, noting the 'valuable' friendships and relationships he had with the respondents. He added that he wanted to 'preserve' these.