Dalawampu: Dignos has no reason to be afraid of Mandaue prosecutors

Lawyer Gloria Dalawampu, the counsel for Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano, strongly opposed to the move of dyHP commentator Joash Dignos to have a panel of special prosecutors not from the Mandaue City Prosecutor's Office to handle the preliminary investigation of his case.

This after Dignos believed that the Mandaue City prosecutors are biased against him, a reason that Dalawampu rejected because the city prosecutors are not under the mayor but the Department of Justice.

"Wala g'yuy basis ang iyang kahadlok," said Dalawampu, who already submitted her opposition to Dignos's move of transferring the case to a panel of special prosecutors to be created by the Regional State Prosecutor's Office.

Dignos, anchor of the morning program "Birada Balita," is facing a string of libel charges before the Mandaue City Prosecutor's Office for allegedly maligning the integrity of Ouano and of his 35-year-old daughter in-law Cheryl, whom the broadcaster accused of having a sexual relationship.

Cheryl, the chairman of the Mandaue City Sports Commission, is the wife of Alfred Francis "Alfie" Ouano, the Consolacion town councilor who sits as ex-officio member of the Provincial Board.

Dalawampu said Dignos, in his radio programs last July 13, 14 and 17, allegedly commented that Ouano had a sexual relationship with Cheryl by saying: "Ikaw kaning gikaingon nga chief executive nga ni jerjer og umagad."

Cheryl said the allegation has depicted her as a "whore and shameless woman, having sexual intercourse with my own father-in-law."

The 59-year-old mayor said it is time for the matter to be brought to court because his patience has run out. For his part, Alfie said he didn't mind the commentaries because he knows they are not true. - Rene U. Borromeo