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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Texter meted 6 mos. in jail, slapped with P200T damages
By Jujemay G. Awit
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Linette C. Ramos
OWNING up to the crime may have done good for Jonah John Rodriguez’s conscience but it did not do much for his grave threats case.
Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 5 Judge Oscar Andrino yesterday found Rodriguez guilty of sending “nasty and threatening” text messages to Cebu City First Lady Margot Osmeña.
Rodriguez was sentenced to six months in jail and was ordered to pay a P500 fine.
Apart from that, he was also ordered to pay Margot P200,000 in damages and P25,000 in attorneys’ fees.
It was the first criminal conviction involving text messages in Cebu.
Rodriguez, a staunch supporter of former mayor Alvin Garcia, political foe of Margot’s husband, Mayor Tomas Osmeña, originally pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in 2002.
But just last month, he withdrew the plea. He admitted sending the text messages.
With the admission, Rodriguez hoped that Margot will reconsider the civil aspect of the case.
“The accused voluntarily manifested to the court that he understood all the legal consequences of his change of plea and that he is willing to face a verdict of conviction,” Andrino’s three-page decision read.
In an interview with reporters after the decision was read, he said, “I expected the conviction because I admitted it during the hearing. So if that’s what I deserve, so be it.”
He had a message for the Osmeñas, “I just want to say sorry for what I did.”
But sorry is not enough for the mayor.
Osmeña is determined to collect the P200,000 Rodriguez, even if takes the latter the rest of his life to pay in full.
Osmeña said he feels “relieved” the case is over, but he will still not forgive Rodriguez.
“For my part, it’s very hard to forgive because he did this not only to me but to my wife as well. So we will collect the P200,000 even if it takes him the rest of his life. At least he’ll know how it feels to go hungry,” the mayor told reporters yesterday.
He explained they are collecting damages “just to give him a taste of his own medicine.”
With the court ruling, Osmeña anticipates that other victims of grave threats through mobile phones will be protected.
The mayor is also glad that the justice system has adopted to changes in the communications technology.
“The important thing is he has a conviction because that’s the real punishment. He can’t go to the United States if he wants to because he’s convicted of a crime,” Osmeña said.
Rodriguez sent the text messages to Margot in the heat of the 2001 local elections.
Osmeña and Garcia competed for the city mayoral race. Osmeña won the race by a slim margin.
Rodriguez clarified yesterday that the Garcias did not abandon him, amid speculations that it was the reason for his change of heart.
Garcia, who initially represented Rodriguez, withdrew as lawyer early this year.
Rodriguez said he still supports the former mayor “101 percent.”
As for the civil aspect of the case, private prosecutors Sisinio Andales and Ramon Teleron said they will ask the Osmeñas if they are willing to reconsider the civil liability considering that there is already a criminal conviction.
Andales also said the case should be a lesson to the public not to resort to nasty text messages.
In his decision, Judge Andrino also said the prosecution was able to prove that the Rodriguez committed the crime through their eight witnesses, including Margot.
“The threats were made by the accused with the deliberate purpose of creating in the mind of the private complainants the belief that the threats against their honor will be carried into effect,” the decision read.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 19, 2006 issue)
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