The Quezon City Regional Trial Court junked today the P63-million civil case filed by ABS-CBN corporation against AGB Nielsen regarding the tv ratings tampering issue, saying the case was "prematurely filed."

ABS-CBN sued AGB Nielsen last December 14 after the research firm continued the release of weekly TV ratings despite ABS-CBN’s claim that the metered households in Vizayas may have been compromised.

And with regards to GMA’s damage suit against ABS-CBN, gmanews.tv reported:

In a related development, another Quezon City court also on Monday issued summons to the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. and 15 others to answer the P15-million damage suit filed by the GMA Broadcasting Network.

QCRTC Branch 92 Presiding Judge Samuel Gaerlan issued the summons directing the said network to answer within 15 days the civil suit, upon receipt of the summons which will be served within the day.

GMA Broadcasting Network through its legal counsel, Gener Asuncion filed the damage suit last January 3 against its rival network, ABS-CBN for allegedly accusing them as behind the rigging, manipulation of TV ratings in Bacolod City.

Aside from ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network, also named defendants were dzMM station manager Angelo Palmones; dzMM news manager Alona Magsalas; dzMM reporter Junrie Hidalgo; “Showbiz Mismo” hosts Jobert Sucaldito and Cristy Fermin; news program Bandila production head Luchi Cruz Valdez and Bandila Executive produce Boyet Agustin.

Other defendants were ABS-CBN Legal Department head, lawyer Maximillan Uy; Bandila anchor Korina Sanchez; Entertainment Live and The Buzz production heads Malou Santos and Luis Andrada; Entertainment Live executive producer Lani Gutierrez; The Buzz and Entertainment Live headwriter Romel Gonzales; The Buzz executive producer Nancy Yabut and The Buzz head writer Ian Reyno.

The GMA asked the court to order the ABS-CBN pay them the amount of P10-million for moral damages; P2.5-million for exemplary damages; P1.5-milllion for attorney’s fees and P1-million for litigation expenses.