G. R.No.L63559,May30,1986
NEWSWE WEEK,I NC p . ,e t i t i o ne r ,v s .THE HEI NTERME M EDI DI ATEAPPELLATE COU OURT, andNATI ONALFEDE DERA RATI ON OFSUGARC RCANE NEPLANT NTERS RSI NC. , BI NALBAGA GANI SABE BELA PLANTERSASSOCI ATI ON,I NC. ,ASOCI ACI ON DEAGR GRI CUL ULTORESDE LACARL RLOTA,LACAS ASTELLANA NAy PON ONTEVEDR DRA,I NC. ,DONEDC DCO PLANT NTERS RSASSOCI ATI ON I NC. , ARMANDO GUSTI LO,ENRI QUE ROJAS,ALFREDO MONTELI BANO,JR. , PABLO SOLA, A,JOSEMO MONTALVO,VI CENT NTE GUSTI LO, O,JOSEPH PH MARA RANO NON,ROBERTO CUE UENC NCA,JOSESI CANG NGCO, O,FLOR ORENC NCI O ALONSO,MI GUELGATUSLAO,PEDRO YULO,MARI NO RUBI N and BENJ NJAMI MI N BAUT UTI STA,r e s po nde n t s .
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FACTS: •
Thear t i c l " e AnI s l andofFear " wa sp ub l i s he db N y e ws we e ki ni t s Fe b r ua r y 23,1981i s s ue .I ta l l e g edl ypo r t r a y e dt hei s l andpr o v i nc eo fNe gr o sOc c i de nt al asap apl acedomi mi nat ed by bi gl andown wner sors ugar cane pl ant er swho no to nl ye x pl o i t e dt hei mpo v e r i s he dwo r ke r s ,buta l s obrut al i zedandki l l ed t hem wi t hi mpuni t y.
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Ne ws we ekfil edamot i ont odi s mi s s o nt heg r o u nd st ha t : o
t hepr i nt e dar t i c l es ue dupo ni snotact i onabl ei nf actandi nl aw; w;
o
t hec o mpl a i nti sbe r ef tofal l e gat i ons t ha ts t a t e ,muc hl e s ss uppo r ta c a us eo fac t i o n.
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Tr i alc o ur tdeni edt hemo mot i ont odi smi mi s s .Compl ai ntoni t sf acest atesa val i d causeofact i on;a ndt heq ue s t i o na st owhe t he rt hepr i nt e da r t i c l e s ue dupo ni t sa c t i o nabl eo rno ti sama mat t e ro fe v i de nc e .
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Pe t i t i o ne r :Co mp mpl ai ntf ai l e dt os t at eac a us eo fac t i o nbe c aus e :
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o
Co mp mpl a i ntma ma denoa l l e g at i o nt hea r t i c l er e f e r r e ds p e c i fic a l l yt oan y o neo ft hepr i v at er e s p o nde nt s ;
o
Li be lc a nb ec o mm mmi t t e do nl yag ai ns ti ndi v i dua lr e p ut a t i o n;
o
i nc a s e swhe r el i b eli sc l a i me dt oha v eb e e ndi r e c t e da tag r o up,t he r e i sac t i o nabl ede f amat i o no nl yi ft hel i be lc a nbes a i dt or each beyond t he mer e col l ect i vi t yt o do dama mage t oas peci fic,i ndi vi dual groupme memb mber' sr eput at i on.
I SSUE UE: WON t hec ompl ai ntmustbedi s mi s s ed?YES.
RUL ULI NG: •
Co r p usv s .Cuade r no ,Sr . : o
" i no r d e rt omai nt ai n al i be ls ui t ,i ti se s s e nt i alt hatt hev i c t i m be i de nt i fia bl e ,a l t ho ug hi ti sno tne c e s s a r yt ha thebena me me d( 1 9A. L. R. 1 1 6 ) . "
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UyTi oc ov s .YangShuWe n: o
De f a ma ma t o r yr e ma ma r k sdi r e c t e da tac l a s so rg r o upo fp e r s o nsi ng e ne r a l l ang uag eo nl y ,ar eno tac t i o nabl eb yi ndi v i dual sc o mp mpo s i ngt hec l as so r g r o u punl e s st hes t a t e me me nt sa r es we e p i ng .
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Thec a s ea tb ari sno tac l a s ss ui t .I ti sno tac a s ewhe r eo neo rmo mo r ema ma ys ue f o rt hebe ne fito fal l .
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Weha v ehe r eac a s ewhe r ee a c ho ft hepl a i nt i ffsha sas e p ar a t eandd i s t i nc t r e p ut a t i o ni nt hec o mm mmuni t y .The yd ono tha v eac o mmo no rg e ne r a li nt e r e s t i nt hes ubj e c tmat t e ro ft hec o nt r o v e r s y .
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