Manila: The Court of Appeals has upheld its previous decision rejecting a petition by Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba seeking the dismissal of a libel complaint filed against him by presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a resolution dated April 21, the appellate court stated that petitioners Mamba and Rogelio Sending Jr. did not present new arguments that would justify overturning the court's December 6, 2024, ruling. This ruling confirmed the decision of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 137, which denied Mamba's request to dismiss the case.

The court emphasized that the motion for reconsideration presented no new or novel issues, describing the arguments as mere repetitions of those already resolved. It stated, "A perusal of the motion reveals that the arguments raised are mere rehashes of the issues we already resolved in our resolution. In this regard, it is a settled rule that a motion for reconsideration that does not raise any new or novel issues should be denied. It would simply be a waste of precious judicial time to revisit these matters anew."

The libel case stems from accusations that Mamba and Sending made malicious remarks about Enrile during an online radio program in 2020.