Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and journalist Rambo Talabong on Tuesday refused to enter pleas during their arraignment before a Manila court on the cyber libel cases they are currently facing, a report of alleged thesis bribery between a university official and students at the De La Salle – College of St. Benilde.
Judge Maria Victoria Soriano-Villadolid of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 24 entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Ressa and Talabong.
In the said article, Talabong alleged that Benilde professor Ariel Pineda has allowed students to pass their thesis subject in exchange for PHP 20,000, through a middleman.
Pineda had been promoted to become the Export Management Program’s chairperson, according to the article.
In the charge filed in court, a city prosecutor said information from the article contained “false, malicious, derogatory and highly libelous imputation, as well as offensive insinuations against the good name, character, and reputation of the, said Ariel D. Pineda.”
Both Ressa and Talabong have posted P30,000 bail, according to their counsel, Atty. Theodore Te.
They both also remain free on bail.
