NAGHAIN si Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. ng reklamong cyber libel at libel sa Department of Justice laban kina Atty. Levito Baligod, 18 dating Marines, at media outlet DWSI 864 kaugnay sa alegasyon na nagsasangkot sa mambabatas sa umano’y distribusyon ng male-maletang pera.
Sa kanyang complaint-affidavit, mariing itinanggi ni Abante ang akusasyon na lumabas sa isang press conference noong February 24 at ipinakalat sa social media.
“For the record, I vehemently deny the incorrect, baseless, and/or misleading allegations made by the complainants in the Libelous Salaysay distributed and made known to the media and public during the Libelous Press Conference, and thereafter published on respondent DWSI’s Facebook page through the Libelous Post,” ani Abante.
Sinabi ng mambabatas pinalalabas sa naturang alegasyon na tumanggap ng pondo na ibinigay sa pamamagitan ng maleta.
“Simply put, the unsigned and unnotarized Libelous Salaysay alleges that I, a public servant, was one of the recipients of ‘kickbacks. Such allegation is completely false and untrue. I vehemently deny and refute the incorrect, baseless, and misleading libelous statements in the Libelous Salaysay distributed and broadcast to the media during the Libelous Press Conference, and thereafter published on respondent DWSI’s Facebook page,” pahayag nito.
Sinabi pa ni Abante na sinadya umano ng mga respondents na isapubliko ang akusasyon sa halip na dalhin sa kaukulang otoridad para i-evaluate ito, na nagresulta sa trial by publicity.
“To make matters worse, the Libelous Press Conference brazenly paraded the Libelous Salaysay—then still unsigned by the 18 Marine Respondents and unnotarized, thus not under oath—before the public eye. Instead of elevating these matters to the proper forum, respondent Atty. Baligod and the 18 Marine Respondents deliberately chose a public tirade over proper processes and channels,” nakassad sa reklamo.
Kinuwestiyon din ng chairman ng House human rights ang kredibilidad ng alegasyon dahil hindi niya nakausap o nakaharap ang mga respondents at wala siyang kinalaman sa anumang cash deliveries.
“For the record, I have never dealt with or ever seen any of the 18 Marine Respondents. I have no dealings with regard to deliveries of money from former representative Zaldy Co,” giit ni Abante.
Dagdag pa niya, “significantly, the allegations lack any specific date or circumstance of the claimed delivery and receipt, while photographs show only cash, luggage, and strangers, establishing nothing. Coupled with their groundless tale, this amounts to nothing more than smoke and mirrors slander.”
Tinukoy pa niya ang mga inconsistencies o hindi pagkakatugma sa mga sa pagitan ng walang lagdang dokumentong ipinakalat noong press conference at notarized affidavit na isinumite sa Office of the Ombudsman, at statements na ginawa ni Baligod kaugnay sa dating senador at ngayon ay party-list Rep. Leila de Lima.
(Vina de Guzman)