The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has issued a resolution regarding the libel case filed by Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray against entertainment editor Janice Navida and entertainment writer Melba Llanera of Bulgar newspaper.
This is related to what the said newspaper published last year with nude photos of the woman and said that it was the Filipino-Australian beauty queen.
Those first appeared on Bulgar’s Facebook page last July 18, 2020 with the caption, “After Clint’s bomb threat… CATRIONA’S NUDE PHOTOS ARE SPREADING! OMG!!! Read the details in Melba Llanera’s INSIDER tomorrow, Sunday. Buy BULGAR so you can always be updated!”
The next day, July 19, it was published in the Bulgar tabloid with the same headline.
In the resolution of the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dated March 11, 2021, both Navida and Llanera were charged with libel under Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code. Navidad was also charged with cyber libel under Section 4(c)(4) of RA 101075.
Pirmado ito nina Assistant City Prosecutor Jerome Christopher Feria, Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Arleen Tagaban at Deputy City Prosecutor Irene Resurrecion-Medrano.
Also in an IG post yesterday, June 10, Atty. Joji Alonso, Catriona’s legal counsel member, confirmed the beauty queen’s news.
“As a staunch advocate of women’s rights and responsible journalism, Ms. Gray welcomes this favorable news. She remains firm against abusive media practices and would not waiver in championing causes that would bring about justice and accountability,” Atty. Joji wrote.
It can be recalled that on July 21 last year, Catriona went to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file a complaint against the people who circulated the fake nude photos and openly said that she was the one in the photos.
The Filipino pride and beauty icon also demanded P10 million in damages from the tabloid because of the alleged “immeasurable damage” to her name and reputation.