THE law firm of former Senate President Franklin Drilon has revived a libel complaint against the publisher and top editors of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Makati Regional Trial Court had earlier dismissed.

Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, editor-in-chief Leticia Jimenez-Magsanoc, managing editor Jose Ma. Nolasco, opinion editor Jorge Aruta, and business editor Raul Marcelo are scheduled to be arraigned for libel on Thursday before Judge Cesar Santamaria.

The Accra law firm filed the libel complaint in 2005 at the height of the Equitable-PCI Bank takeover battle, when Accra was representing the besieged Go family from the group of Teresita Sy, Winston Garcia, Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Macario Te.

Accra claimed that a Cocktales column item in the Inquirer had libeled the law firm. But instead of seeking a correction from the newspaper, Accra partner Rogelio Vinluan used his column in The Philippine Star to devote four times more newsprint space to reject the Inquirer column before filing the libel complaint against Cocktales columnist Victor Agustin and the Inquirer editors.

The libel complaint was dismissed ?without prejudice? in 2007 by Judge Renato Quilala for lack of jurisdiction.

But Accra, apparently with Drilon?s blessing, insisted on reviving the case against the Inquirer instead of simply zeroing in on Agustin, who has since moved to the Manila Standard Today.

In proceeding with the arraignment, Judge Santamaria dismissed the Inquirer claim of double jeopardy because the charge sheet filed by the Makati Prosecutor?s Office represented ?new information,? and even without the benefit of another preliminary investigation.