Debbie Garcia and Barbie Imperial. Image: Instagram/@debsgarcia, @msbarbieimperial
The three criminal charges—slight physical injury, grave oral defamation and grave slander—filed by Debbie Garcia against fellow actress Barbie Imperial arising from a physical confrontation in October 2022, were dismissed by the court due to “insufficiency of evidence,” as disclosed by comedian-talent manager Ogie Diaz.
Garcia filed the complaints last November after Imperial allegedly assaulted her during a confrontation in a bar in Quezon City.
Diaz showed a part of the court resolution through a vlog on his YouTube channel on Wednesday, May 24.
“The alleged defamatory remarks and other acts intended or calculated to cast dishonor, discredit or contempt upon the Complainant that would constitute the crimes of Grave Oral Defamation and Slander by Deed are not evident in the CCTV footage attached to the Complainant. There seems to be no further verbal confrontation that transpired after the more or less two (2) second commotion, between the parties at the time of the incident,” the resolution read.
“What is evident from the CCTV footage is that, the parties were immediately pulled away from each other after a brief commotion and nothing ensued thereafter. Respondent was not even seen making a remark towards the Complainant based on the CCTV footages and there was no recording that Respondent was grabbing and pulling the Complainant’s hair, scratching her chest, neck and arm, and kicking her leg,” it added.
Image: screengrab from YouTube/Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update
Image: screengrab from YouTube/Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update
Diaz further said he was able to talk to a source from Imperial’s camp who claimed that the actress had no plans of filing charges against Garcia.
“Ayon sa nakausap ko sa kampo ni Barbie ay hindi na magsasampa [ng kaso] si Barbie. Gusto na lamang daw ni Barbie na malaman ng mga tao na siya ang nagsasabi ng totoo,” Diaz said. “Ang importante daw ay nakuha nila ‘yung hustisya na sila ang nagsasabi ng totoo at nagsisinungaling itong si Debbie.”
(According to a source from Barbie’s camp whom I was able to talk to, the actress will not file charges [against Garcia]. [The source added] that Barbie only wants the public to know that she is telling the truth. What’s important for them is that justice was served, proving that they are telling the truth and that Debbie was lying.)
Both Garcia and Imperial have yet to publicly speak up on the matter as of this writing.—Anne Pasajol
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