Click here for copy of CA decision
by Evangeline de Vera
Malaya
Journalists who filed a P12.5 million damage suit in December 2006 against Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo won Round 2 after the Court of Appeals denied Arroyo’s petition to stop, for lack of merit, the Makati RTC from admitting the amended complaint after complainants failed to pay the correct docket fees.
The CA’s Seventh Division lifted the writ of preliminary injunction it earlier issued and remanded the case to the Makati RTC, which was ordered to “conduct further proceedings with dispatch.”
Harry Roque, counsel for over 40 media practitioners who joined the class suit, said: “This is the beginning of the end of impunity. Those who will use libel as a tool to infringe on freedom of the press, beware. Democracy has fought back and democracy won.”