BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia is planning to file criminal charges against former mayor Monico Puentevella and his two sons for alleged tampering of the video of President Rodrigo Duterte during the campaign rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) at the Victorias City Coliseum on March 8.
City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, Leonardia’slegal counsel, said on March 11, they are now assessing the evidence in order to file the case against the former mayor and his two sons: Councilor Claudio Puentevella and Bribri Puentevella for violation of Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
“We believe there are many inputs that were altered and this was done for the purpose of making the data unauthentic. It is not for the purpose of honest reporting, but it is to malign the reputation of Mayor Leonardia,” he said.
Bayatan noted that in due time, they will file the case before the City Prosecutor’s Office, and report it to the Office of the President.
Former councilor Roberto Rojas earlier clarified that President Duterte did not call Mayor Leonardia to stand during the campaign rally.
This, after Leonardia’s political opponent, ABB-MKK (Asenso para sa Buas-damlag sang Bacolodnon-Magbinuligay Kita sa Kauswagan), led by former mayor Puentevella, reportedly used the issue against the sitting mayor.
According to reports, Leonardia was specially mentioned by the President, who was talking about the country’s illegal drug problem, and even asked the mayor to stand up.
Rojas said the protocol officer of Malacañang asked him if Puentevella was also in the area because the President had banned him at Victorias City Coliseum.
For his part, Leonardia said that President Duterte was only trying to ask him to confirm to the crowd that he was part of a meeting of all the mayors in Malacañang.
“But because of the poor sound system, his message was not clear and I did not know what he was talking about. So because I cannot hear him, I stood up and in fairness to the President, he repeated it just for my sake,” Leonardia said.
After the President’s speech, Leonardia and his Grupo Progreso party mates were even given a chance to pose with Duterte for a photograph.
“When the President arrived for a photograph, we were asked to sit down and I told him (Duterte), ‘Sorry, sir, I could not hear what you said earlier.’ Then he also said that it’s because of poor sound system,” Leonardia remembered.
Leonardia noted that in the previous year, the former mayor also altered the video of the President on social media.
“It’s propaganda to mislead the public,” he said.
For his part, former mayor Puentevella said he was not in the event in Victorias City because he did not have an invitation.
“I have a delicadeza. Unlike another (person) who was not invited but he was there and was scolded by the President on national television.
Bacolod City is number one in illegal drugs, according to President Duterte. It’s time for change, top-to-bottom change,” Puentevella said.
Leonardia also countered that Puentevella should show proof or a video that showed the President saying exactly what the former mayor claimed to have been said.
“The way we see it, he is putting words in the mouth of the President. They are altering or tampering official records—that’s an offense and a crime. For me, you have to preserve the record of the President as pure as can be,” he said.