Thursday, January 03, 2008 Leo Lastimosa arrested, posts bail
FOR about an hour yesterday morning, ABS-CBN radio station manager and television newscaster Leo Lastimosa was the news.
Escorted by a team of Regional Intelligence Division operatives led by Senior Supt. Augusto Marquez Jr., Lastimosa was brought to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in compliance with a warrant of arrest for libel.
Lastimosa promptly posted the P10,000 bail and was released upon the order of RTC Judge Geraldine Faith Econg. He is scheduled to return to court on his own during his arraignment.
Journalists were out in full force to cover Lastimosa’s presentation to the RTC.
He maintained that the libel suit lodged against him, resulting in the issuance of the arrest warrant, is plain and simple harassment on the part of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
He assured, though, that despite the criminal case, he will continue to perform his functions as a journalist with dedication and without fear.
The governor has sued Lastimosa over a column that the latter wrote criticizing her flagship program, the Cebu International Convention Center.
She then filed a separate civil suit before the Barili RTC for moral damages arising from the publication. The suit was recently dismissed on a technicality but may be re-filed in Cebu City anytime.
Word of Lastimosa’s impending arrest in the libel case circulated last Dec. 27 yet, with Lastimosa quickly issuing a statement that he will be waiting for the police after his daily morning program “Arangkada” on the first working day of 2008.
Based on the “return of warrant of arrest” form that Marquez submitted to the judge, it was exactly what Lastimosa did.
“That subject voluntarily submitted his person to the elements of the Regional Intelligence Division... on or about 9:45 in the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at the ABS-CBN Compound, Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City,” Marquez’s report read.
He said they simply picked up Lastimosa from the compound because he’d previously contacted them to say he was submitting himself to the custody of the court.
Order
Police Regional Office (PRO)7 Director Ronald Roderos said that four days ago, Judge Econg gave a verbal instruction to Marquez to implement the arrest warrant against Lastimosa.
Marquez proceeded to Barangay Jagobiao in Mandaue City yesterday morning when he heard Lastimosa on air, Roderos added.
Roderos confirmed that the broadcaster was released on bail shortly before noon yesterday.
Yesterday’s service of the warrant disrupted what would have been a happy time for the broadcaster. The Barili RTC had just dismissed the damages suit against him over a technicality. (KNR/With JST)
