Philippine court upholds acquittal of ABS-CBN executives in libel case

The Court of Appeals in the Philippines has upheld the acquittal of ABS-CBN officials and news personnel on libel charges, denying a petition from GMA executives to overturn the decision. The court ruled that doing so would violate protections against double jeopardy. In its October 28 decision, the appellate court supported a 2022 ruling that dismissed the libel case, stating the prosecution failed to establish the necessary elements of defamation. The case originated from comments made by ABS-CBN personnel regarding GMA's use of exclusive footage. The court found no grave abuse of discretion in the lower court's ruling. It emphasized that any errors made were not sufficient to warrant a review, as double jeopardy had already been established with the acquittal.