SC clears Angeles, Paglinawan in Facebook posts case

The Supreme Court has cleared former press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles and lawyer George Ahmed Paglinawan of administrative charges stemming from their Facebook posts concerning the Isaias Samson case.

The complaint, filed by lawyer Randy Serrano, accused Angeles and Paglinawan of violating the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.

The Supreme Court's Second Division dismissed the complaint, citing insufficient proof that the Facebook posts originated from the respondents' accounts.

The Court noted that screenshots alone are not enough to prove authenticity and require proper evidence, which was not submitted.

Even if the posts were theirs, the Court stated that the statements were protected by the constitutional right to freedom of speech.

The Court reasoned that the statements were either absolutely privileged as a defense of their client in a judicial proceeding or constituted valid public criticism of government officials.