Thursday, April 19, 2007 Fiscals panel to handle Gwen’s libel rap v. Leo
THE Cebu City Pros-ecutor’s Office is giving special attention to the libel case Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia filed against Leo Lastimosa, a radio broadcaster, television anchor and newspaper columnist.
Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon yesterday created a three-member panel of prosecutors to conduct a preliminary investigation.
Assistant Prosecutor Lineth Lapinid was designated as the head of the panel, with Prosecutors Ernesto Narido Jr. and Marla Barcenilla as members.
The panel, according to Sellon, shall serve subpoenas or notices signed only by the head and after completion of the investigation, shall convene to arrive at a decision.
“Once consensus is reached by at least a majority of the panel, including the head, the latter shall write the resolution which shall be signed by all. Thereafter, the signed resolution shall pass the usual process of review before being submitted to the undersigned for approval,” read Sellon’s order.
In an interview, Sellon explained that the panel was created to divide the burden and the pressure that goes with the case especially since those involved are known personalities.
Sellon said it will be better to form a panel than assign a prosecutor to the case.
“We can’t deny that this is no simple case considering that this is about the Asean summit and we can’t deny that she is not on equal footing with the rest because she is the governor,” Sellon said.
Garcia, in her complaint, said Lastimosa has “consistently manifested contempt and ill will” against her and her family.
In his column in The Freeman last April 14, Lastimosa allegedly accused the governor of being unreasonable, ill-tempered, foul-mouthed as evidence in the way she berated people, including media practitioners who criticized the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
Also, Lastimosa allegedly depicted the governor as a fair-weather friend and someone who uses her position “to dispense unwarranted favors.”
The column, according to Garcia, also portrayed her as being “culpable or directly responsible” for the alleged anomalies on the P2-billion expenditures for the summit.
Lastimosa, for his part, said this is the governor’s way of discouraging further public scrutiny on the CICC controversy. (KNT)
