It has been nearly two decades since the controversy.
On Tuesday, March 31, the Supreme Court (SC) announced that dismissal of the complaint filed by GMA Network, Inc. against fellow media giant and former archival, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation.
Filed in 2007, the case was pursued over alleged defamatory statements by the Kapamilya network that accused the Kapuso camp of manipulating a TV ratings survey.
In a decision handed down by Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, the SC’s Third Division denied two consolidated petitions. These were a complaint for damages filed by GMA and the counterclaims filed by ABS-CBN.
The court ruled that the aired statements of ABS-CBN hosts are qualified privileged communications and constitute a fair and true report that GMA personnel visited homes to influence a TV ratings survey.
For context, we go back to the year 2007, which was also the height of the intense TV ratings competition between both stations.
ABS-CBN hired AGB Nielsen to supply TV ratings data for Mega Manila and other urban regions nationwide, primary used to determine programming, broadcast times, and target audiences.
Under the contract, it was required that the locations of the sample households (Panel Homes) be kept strictly confidential to prevent tampering or interference by media industry parties and protect the integrity of the data.
However, the network would later receive reports that individuals, allegedly hired by GMA, contacted some Panel Homes and convinced residents to watch GMA programs in exchange of monthly monetary and grocery incentives. This claim was corroborated by a GMA Iloilo employee, who testified that the station manager ordered him and six others to find the Panel Homes.
In a formal letter and radio interview, AGB Nielsen’s General Manager, Maya Reforma, admitted that the Panel Homes had been tampered, which led to ABS-CBN airing program segments that carried Reforma’s statements.
Due to that, GMA filed a complaint for damages before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) and said that ABS-CBN deliberately twisted Reforma’s statements by declaring that GMA had manipulated the ratings, leading to a counterclaim from ABS-CBN.
The Regional Trial Court had dismissed both GMA’s complaint and ABS-CBN’s counterclaims. The Court of Appeals (CA) upheld this decision.
And now, the SC agreed with those decisions, specifically the one from the appellate court.
“Defamation refers to the offense of injuring a person’s character, fame, or reputation through false and malicious statements. The general rule is that every defamatory imputation is presumed to be malicious except when it involves privileged communication, which is of two kinds: absolute and qualified,” the presser explained.
It added, “Qualified privileged communications are those containing defamatory imputations that would not be actionable unless made with malice or bad faith.“
In SC rulling, it said that the statements made by ABS-CBN’s hosts and guest speakers are considered qualified privileged communications and constitute a fair and true report based on their interpretation of Reforma’s radio interview and the data analysis report submitted by AGB Nielsen.
It also emphasized that there was no malice in the airing of these utterances, as they were supported by documentary evidence. Furthermore, the remarks were covered by the fair comment doctrine.
“GMA is a public figure and a mass media entity operating in an industry imbued with public interest,” it highlighted.
The SC then rejected GMA’s invocation of Article 361 of the Revised Penal Code on proof of the truth, reiterating that truth is a valid defense in instances where remarks are directed against a public figure.
Likewise, ABS-CBN’s counterclaims were also dismissed, with the SC saying that GMA was able to establish a cause of action based on the belief that the subject statements aired on ABS-CBN’s programs were “defamatory.”
But 19 years down the road, and this case seems to be water under the bridge. In 2026, both firms are now long-term partners, having forged their successive tie-ups since January 2023.
At present, the two are partners on noontime, as the longest-running Kapamilya daily variety show It’s Showtime airs its simulcast on GMA’s flagship channel.
On primetime, they are also co-producers for The Secrets Of Hotel 88, which features stars of the networks’ first joint Pinoy Big Brother season—Celebrity Collab Edition 1—that aired from March to July 2025.