Tom threatens to sue local paper for libel

Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday threatened to sue for libel a local daily, which he claimed quoted and published a statement he never uttered.

Yesterday's Sun.Star-Cebu front page story quoted the mayor as saying, "Why go after vigilantes who go after criminals?"

In his regular press conference yesterday, an angry Osmeña snarled at reporters: "Did I say that? I'm sure I did not say that. This statement is patently fabricated, malicious and false. I will sue Sun.Star unless it retracts it."

Rene Martel, the paper's reporter who wrote the story, quickly told the mayor that he did not write such quotation.

This somehow appeased Osmeña who thanked Martel for admitting.

But Osmeña went for the jugular, "This only proves once again that Sun.Star is a propaganda machine of vested political interest. They are making false statements and put it in the front page."

The mayor has been very vocal of his aversion against the Garcia-owned Sun.Star and the Gullas-owned The Freeman, which he has since been accusing as propaganda machines of the owners.

When asked for comment on the mayor's threat, Sun.Star news editor Carmel Geverola said they will still discuss the matter with their editor-in-chief Pacheco Seares.