About three and a half years after a traffic incident that resulted to a brawl between a television reporter and an aspiring lawyer, the verdict was made which showed the laxity of protection for the media profession.

In one of the three cases filed by GMA TV-6 reporter Charlene Belvis, defendant Andrea Gorriceta was found guilty only for slight physical injury in yesterday's promulgation.

The verdict was made by Judge Rene Gonzalez yesterday at the Municipal Trial Circuit Court Branch 7, at the Annex building of the Hall of Justice.

Gorriceta was acquitted in two grounds, on light oral defamation and simple slander by deed and was asked to pay a P200-fine plus the lawyer's merit and appearance fee.

To note, Belvis suffered minor injuries after she was manhandled by Gorriceta inside a police station after covering a car incident involving the latter.

In earlier reports, Gorriceta was allegedly irked after the television crew continued to take footage of the incident involving her along Jalandoni Street in Jaro District.

LACK OF PROTECTION

Based on that experience, Belvis also added that 'angry or not,' "it is not a license to utter unkind words to someone, especially in public."

Meanwhile, Atty. Guilermo Alcantara, lawyer of Gorriceta said that the verdict will not affect the aspiration of his client to become a lawyer.

He said that the "physical injury grounds cannot hinder anyone from taking the bar examination."

"The media profession should still respect the right to privacy of an individual," he ended.*