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Brillante vs. Court of Appeals [DECISION]

ROBERTO BRILLANTE, Petitioner, versus COURT OF APPEALS and THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES, Respondents.

G.R. Nos. 118757 and 121571 | 2004-10-19

D E C I S I O N
 
TINGA, J,:
 
Good name in man and woman, dear my Lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis
Something, nothing;…
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And makes me poor indeed.
- Shakespeare: Othello, III, iii, 155.

Every man has a right to build, keep and be favored with a good name. This right is protected by law with the recognition of slander and libel as actionable wrongs, whether as criminal offenses or tortious conduct.

In these consolidated petitions for review on certiorari,[1] petitioner Roberto Brillante...