Libel case vs Hayden's mother to proceed

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City court’s attempt to mediate between actress Katrina Halili and the mother of Halili’s former boyfriend, Hayden Kho, failed yesterday, paving the way for a full-blown trial on the libel case filed by actress against Irene Kho.

The case stemmed from televised interviews of the elder Kho, during which she alleged that Halili introduced her son to use drug. This was at the height of the sex video scandal involving Halili and the former celebrity doctor.

Judge Ma. Filomena Singh of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 85 had ordered both camps to undergo mediation to allow for an out-of-court settlement.

But mediation efforts failed after both Halili and Kho did not say anything to each other during the mediation session. The actress and Kho sat with their lawyers during the mediation process, which took less than 10 minutes.

The court set the pre-trial on the case on Oct. 20.

The Quezon City Prosecutors’ Office earlier junked the libel complaint, a decision that was overturned by the Department of Justice after Halili filed a petition for review.