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Friday, March 09, 2007
2 arrest warrants out for congressman's son
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- Two warrants for the arrest of Marc Douglas Cagas IV, the only son of Davao del Sur Representative Douglas Ra Cagas, were issued by a local court Thursday.
March Douglas is being accused of grave oral defamation by the father-in-law of political rival Representative Claude Bautista.
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The arrest warrants cover two complaints -- one filed by the Rural Bank of Digos and another by its biggest stockholder, Eugenio "Enying" Derequito.
The two complaints involve one incident.
Marc, however, posted bail of P6,000 for each case as soon as the warrants were issued and did not spend even a second inside the jail.
In a text message, Representative Cagas said the case against his son is "a very minor, baseless, malicious charge by the very rich father-in-law of Claude Bautista."
The congressman said they would fight the legal battle in the name of the people of Davao del Sur.
"For the people of Davao del Sur, we are not going to give up," Cagas said.
The provincial prosecutor of Davao del Sur earlier recommended the filing of a criminal case against Marc for badmouthing the rural bank, Bautista, and his father-in-law.
The complaint was filed by Derequito, father-in-law of Bautista.
Records of the case indicated that Derequito filed the complaint after learning of the verbal attack of the young Cagas against the Rural Bank of Digos in a speech before women in Barangay Savoy, Hagonoy town on January 12.
The young Cagas charged that the "Kaulos" (Tagacaulos), indigenous people of Malita, have been victimized and that almost all the lands in Malita have been allegedly taken by the Bautistas through the rural bank by way of loans.
He also alleged that borrowers who fail to pay the loans are harassed by the goons of Derequito "that is why you will be forced to have your land foreclosed by the Rural Bank of Digos, the same with those lands of the Kaulos in Malita."
Earlier, Derequito, basing his complaint on the same incident, also filed a libel case against Cagas and asked for damages worth P30 million. (With report from Manolet Causing)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Davao. (March 9, 2007 issue)
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