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Amalia: I lost on a technicality

Watch as screen icon Amalia Fuentes talk about the Philippine movie industry, her legacy in showbiz and her concept of beauty. Interview by Jason Domantay. Video produced by Yahoo! Southeast Asia and Digitank Studios.

Amalia Fuentes believes she lost in the libel case she filed against Annabelle Rama and Bianca Gonzalez because the statements she (Amalia) found offensive were found on the internet.

“I lost on a technicality,”  she told Yahoo! Philippines  OMG! “What Annabelle said about me in her Facebook account was really mean and malicious and everything para maging libelous.  But just because it was on the internet, she got away with it.”

Amalia said the absence of a cyberlaw has made her accept the court decision. “The laws of libel doesn’t include the internet.”

Just the same, Amalia asked her lawyer to send a copy of the  decision to the Justice Department  for review.

“If the Department of Justice  says tama ang  decision ng fiscal, ipapa-publish ko pa yon so people will know na siraan mo lahat ng tao, as long as you do it on the internet, walang pananagutan.”

[Related: Bianca Gonzalez is learning from her libel suit]

Amalia added that since the case she filed against Annabelle was dismissed because  the comments were posted on the internet,  the lawsuits Annabelle filed against her (Amalia),  Nadia Montenegro and  entertainment columnist Chito Alcid  should also be junked.  After all, Amalia explained, the case also stemmed from Facebook comments.

“I should not have answered them anymore. I should not have hired a lawyer if this is the decision I will get,”  Amalia stressed.

She added that she remains unaffected by the decision.

“Kung sino ang author non, siya ang dapat mapahiya sa ginamit niyang words sa Facebook.  Can you be proud to claim authorship of something as mean and as dirty and as low as this? Can Annabelle be proud of what she said?”

[Related: Albert hopes Amalia-Annabelle fight will be resolved]

Annabelle’s reaction

Annabelle, on the other hand,  was overjoyed about the decision.

“Ang justice system sa Pilipinas umaandar,” she explained.  “Ang  Sto. Niño ang tumutulong sa akin.”

Told that Amalia believed she lost the case because the statements were found on the internet, Annabelle commented, “Wala siyang solid proof. Anybody can use my name. Right now, ang daming fake na Annabelle Rama.  Ginagaya ang mga salita ko. Pangalawa, walang kuwentang kaso. Alam kong nag demanda lang siya dahil sa galit niya sa 'kin.”

Annabelle also expressed her gratitude to the prosecutor (John Patrick Corpuz of Quezon City) who penned the decision.

“Binasa na niyang mabuti at nakita niyang walang probable cause.”

Annabelle added that she’s praying that the rest of the cases that have been filed against her won’t prosper.

“Wala naman kasi akong ginawang masama sa kanila,” she explained.

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