By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Negros Occidental first district Rep. Julio Ledesma IV and his wife, actress Assunta de Rossi, filed separate charges against personnel of national newspaper, The Philippine Star, regarding allegedly libelous comments made against them in a previous issue.

The couple filed charges before the San Carlos City Prosecutor’s Office last week, seeking P140 million in damages against Philippine Star President Miguel Belmonte, Editor-in-chief Ana Marie Pamintuan, Managing Editor Romel Lara, Business Editor Marian Vego, and columnist Victor Agustin.

Based on a joint statement issued by the couple’s legal counsel, Attys. Ranulfo Javelosa III, Pretty Celiz, and Stephanie Kate Arevalo, the reportedly libelous comments were made by the newspaper’s “Money Go Round” column, which featured an article entitled “Assunta rescues Ledesma’s Rolls Royce from the hotel caper.”

The article, published last year, claimed to recount an incident that occurred at the Discovery Primea hotel and residential tower in Makati City.

All three lawyers stated the accusations made by Agustin in the article were not true, adding the article has affected their clients’ status and name.

“[The article], we believe, is libelous,” Celiz affirmed.

The lawyers noted, Philippine Star made no attempt to contact Ledesma’s camp in order to verify the article in question.

Javelosa added, the case was filed on the basis “a journalist should be a purveyor of truth and not gossip.”/DGB, WDJ