Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray received messages of support after the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office indicted a tabloid editor and writer for libel over an article about her having “nude” photos.
Reports said that the office has recommended the filing of libel charges against Bulgar entertainment editor Janice Navida and writer Melba Llanera over an article published on July 19, 2020 with the headline: “After ng bantang pasabog ni Clint… NUDE PHOTOS NI CATRIONA KALAT NA!”
A Facebook post of the tabloid newspaper also circulated which featured a topless photo of a female that Navida alleged was the beauty queen.
The entertainment editor was similarly indicted for cyberlibel due to the social media post.
The city prosecutor recommended that libel charges be filed before the court following the incident.
Filipinos backed Catriona on her move, saying that she should “teach them a lesson” after publishing false information.
“Go Miss Universe. Take the stand. Fight for your right. I hope other females that this tabloid (have) violated in the past follow,” a YouTube user wrote in the comments section of a video report on the indictment.
“There are a lot of victims of fake news. Go Catriona, stand for people who can’t and also stand for yourself and for what’s right,” another online user commented.
“Good job Cat, thank you for setting an example, para ‘yung ibang tabloid ‘di na basta basta (gawa gawan) ng kwento,” shared a different Filipino.
Catriona last year went to the National Bureau of Investigation where she filed a complaint against the uploader of the fake topless photo that has gone viral.
The incident happened shortly after her ex-boyfriend, Clint Bondad, caught social media’s attention for his cryptic Instagram posts.
Catriona accused the tabloid of causing her “immeasurable damage. She also said it to “maliciously” capitalize on the issue involving Clint with the fake photos.
“It appears that Bulgar, being aware of the trending issue of Clint Bondad’s Instagram posts and thereafter having obtained a copy of an explicit altered photo from an unidentified source, purposely uploaded the subject photo in its online platform and subsequently published it in its tabloid, without verifying its sources,” a demand letter from her legal counsel said before.
