YOU may call this as self-serving, but I am writing this as a matter of personal privilege. This for me is also a matter of public interest, especially for those who are similarly situated as me.
Like in the previous libel case filed by the “former political has-been” against me that was eventually dismissed by the court, I also filed a motion for inhibition against the entire Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office in the other libel cases filed against me by his son, Miguel.
Miguel filed two libel cases against me, one for violation of the Revised Penal Code and the other for violation of the Cyber Crime law after I named him in my column as allegedly involved in the butane refiling business. My reason is that all prosecutors assigned in the city get monthly allowances from the City Government. Considering that the complainant is the son of the city executive and his mother is also a city councilor, the prosecutor who will handle the case might be influenced by them. I wanted the cases to be assigned to a neutral prosecutor outside of the city.
But City Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas denied my motion for inhibition. Her one-page resolution states: “Considering that the allegations as stated in complainant’s motion for voluntary inhibition of this office not being ground for inhibition as provided for under Part 1V.11.B of the revised manual for prosecutors, the same is hereby denied. As prayed for, the respondent is given additional time of fifteen (15) days from receipt of the order to submit his counter-affidavit. The investigating prosecutor is hereby ordered to continue with the preliminary investigation of the instant case until its termination.”
I find Rabillas’s resolution as a work of a lazy person. She did not even explain the content of the section she cited. I did a research and it did not mention inhibition. Part 1V of the Prosecutor’s Manual is about petition for review. I challenge her to categorically state her reason because I am questioning her bias and partiality in handling my case.
Okay, it’s her decision and I will abide by it. Still, I have several options, like raising the matter before the Regional State Prosecutor and all the way to the secretary of the Department of Justice. But where is her sense of delicadeza? And what is her interest in my case?
If you study carefully my reason, my motion for inhibition is for them to be spared from any public criticisms and suspicions once they recommend for the filing of my case to the court. The public may suspect that their decision is influenced by the incentives they receive from the City Government.
You may accuse me of being paranoid or too presumptuous. But yes, I have worries. If I will allow the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office to resolve my case, I am sure they will file it in court. Rabillas will review and even reverse the recommendation of the assigned prosecutor.
Aside from the allowance, Rabillas was backed by the “former political has-been” for his current position. That was when President Aquino was president and when he still had clout with Malacañang. Rabillas once worked at City Hall under the “former political has-been.” Morag wa tay dag-anan.