Pagbasura sa kasong cyber libel inihirit ni Bello sa Davao court

MANILA, Philippines- Naghain si dating vice presidential candidate Walden Bello ng mosyon na hinihiling na ibasura ng libel case na inihain laban sa kanya ng dating Davao City employee.

Inihayag ng kampo ni Bello na inihain ang mosyon nitong Lunes sa Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 10.

“Wherefore, premises considered, it is prayed that the information for libel be quashed and the instant criminal cases be dismissed. Other reliefs, just and equitable under the premises, are likewise prayed for,” saad dito.

Kaugnay ito ng dalawnag counts ng paglabag sa RA 10175 o sa Cyber Crime Prevention Act of 2012 na ikinasa ni dating Davao City chief information officer Jefry Tupas laban kay Bello.

Magugunitang inihayag ni Bello sa kanyang Facebook post na si Tupas ay “nabbed at a beach party where she and her friends were snorting P1.5 million worth of drugs” noong pinagpapaliwanag niya si noo’y Mayor Sara Duterte ukol sa “bahid” sa kanyang rekord sa Davao City.

Paliwanag ni Tupas, na umaming dumalo sa party, umalis siya matapos kumain bago pa maganap ang operasyon, kung saan nasabat ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency ang P1.5 milyong droga.

Sa 15-page motion, sinabi ni Bello na upang magpatuloy ang libel charges ang mga alegasyon ay dapat na “false with knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard as to truth or falsity.”

“These matters are totally absent in the recitals of the Informations, hence, the same must be quashed,” saad sa mosyon.

“All the facts stated in the Informations simply boil down to the absence of actual malice, the standard applicable in the instant case,” anito pa.

Iginiit pa ni Bello na walang anumang rekord ang Prosecution Office na magpapatunay ng “knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard as to truth or falsity.”

“There is, therefore, no way for the prosecution to simply amend the Informations and change their wordings… The only option left, in view of the fatal defects of the Informations, is to dismiss the instant case,” anito.

Samantala, kinuwestiyon din ni Bello kung bakit si Tupas “zeroed on the accused [Bello]” at hindi naghain ng kaso laban sa media outfits kung ang kaso ay “genuine attempt to redress a wrong.”

Sinabi pa ni Bello na “ipininta” rin ni Vice President Duterte si Tupas na sangkot sa drug raid.

BInanggit niya ang pahayag na naka-post sa City Government of Davao Facebook page noong Nobyembre 2021 kung saan nakasaad na “Tupas, of the City Government of Davao was involved in a drug raid.”
“Based on all the news and reports circulating during the time of the subject statement of the respondent, any reasonable man could infer that complainant Tupas was indeed nabbed in a drug raid,” pahayag ni Bello.

Samantala, inulit ni Bello na ang kaso ay isang “vendetta” laban sa kanya, dahil sa paghamo niya kay Duterte na dumalo sa vice presidential debates.

Nauna nang sinabi ni Duterte kay Bello na huwag siyang sisisihin “for his fall from grace.” RNT/SA

Pagbasura sa kasong cyber libel inihirit ni Bello sa Davao court
Source: Filipino Pinoys