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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Margot’s texter changes his plea to guilty
In a sudden turnaround, the former personal secretary of former Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia admitted he was responsible for sending malicious and nasty text messages to Cebu City First Lady Margarita “Margot” Os-meña in 2000.
Jonah John Rodriguez, who was scheduled to take the witness stand in yesterday’s hearing, instead told the court that he is withdrawing his plea of not guilty to the grave threats charge.
Quest for peace
In an interview, Rodri-guez said he made the decision only last Friday in his quest for peace of mind.
“Actually, others advised me not to do this kay just like sa insik nga og mokaon patay, og di mokaon patay gihapon, the same conviction. For me, if I get convicted, it’s better if I tell the truth. My admission is based on my belief that it is not right to correct a mistake by another mistake. I don’t want to build my defense based on lies and alibis. I think it would not make me less a man by doing so, gani mas isog pako (I’m even braver),” he said.
When asked why he sent those text messages to Osmeña, Rodriguez replied that that he did it out of loyalty to the Garcia camp.
He also clarified that the former mayor knew he would withdraw his not guilty plea.
“They are against it but they respect my decision. Ma’am Ninette (Garcia’s wife) wanted to attend the hearing, but I told her no,” Rodriguez said.
Not stable
He hopes that with his admission, Osmeña will change her heart and reconsider the civil aspect of the case. He said he is not financially stable.
He also admitted that he asked for the help of many people close to Osmeña, including Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, to help him settle the case.
The cardinal, Rodriguez said, had expressed willingness to mediate but was unable to do so because of time constraint.
Rodriguez also belied speculation that he did this because the Garcia camp has deserted him.
“They have not abandoned me. In fact, I’m managing the Cristina Garcia Tiaras of Distinction, a business owned by the daughter-in-law of the former mayor,” he said.
With Rodriguez’s change of plea, Judge Oscar Andrino of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1 ordered lawyers Ramon Teleron and Sisinio Andales to call Osmeña and asked her if she is willing to settle the civil aspect of the case.
But Osmeña doesn’t want to do so.
Andales said Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña does not want to waive the civil liabilities of Rodriguez.
In an interview, he said the Osmeñas were surprised by the move of Rodriguez but will leave the issue on civil liabilities to the court.
Teleron, meanwhile, manifested that they might do so provided that Rodriguez will testify against the “real motivation” of the sender of the messages, “if at all one exists.”
Defense lawyer Lelany Reso-or clarified that the move of the accused in sending those text messages was merely his own.
With this, the court scheduled the promulgation of the case on July 18. (Katrina N. Tabanao, Correspondent)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 20, 2006 issue)
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