Tomas sues Alcover for cyberlibel

FOR allegedly maligning his reputation, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña lodged a complaint for violation of the Anti-Cybercrime Law against Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Osmeña also filed a separate complaint for grave misconduct and violation of the Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. He asked the court to preventively suspend Alcover from holding public office.

Alcover is yet to issue a comment on the matter.

In his complaint, Osmeña alleged that Alcover maligned his reputation by attributing a statement to him regarding a bullying incident involving a student from Ateneo de Manila Junior High School.

On his Facebook account, Alcover posted Osmeña’s photo with a statement, which the mayor reportedly made.

“This boy was not really bullying, he was just teaching his classmate a lesson. Ateneo and the Jesuits are close to my heart. I know they will get through with this,” read the statement attributed to Osmeña posted on Alcover’s Facebook account. The post has since been deleted.

Osmeña said Alcover made it appear that he condoned the act of bullying.

“I never uttered or issued a statement that Respondent Councilor Alcover is attributing to me. The statement quoted in Respondent Councilor Alcover’s Facebook post is a work of fiction; thus, devoid of any truth,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña, assisted by lawyers from SALiGAL Law, said there was actual malice on the part of Alcover when the latter made the defamatory statement because “he knows that it was not true.”

He also accused Alcover of being liable for grave misconduct.

“With the proliferation of ‘fake news’ on social media that disorients and deceives the general public, a public official like Respondent Councilor Alcover should be the first to speak against it, to correct it, and to remind the public that it is never acceptable to post or help proliferate ‘fake news’,” Osmeña said.