Leo says he won’t hide despite arrest warrant

The Freeman columnist and ABS-CBN broadcaster Leo Lastimosa has assured the public that he will not go into hiding following the issuance of a warrant of arrest against him on the libel case that Governor Gwendolyn Garcia filed against him.

In an e-mail sent to The Freeman, Lastimosa said he did not receive the arrest warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Geraldine Faith Econg because he was out of town.

He clarified that his trip was not to avoid arrest. In fact, he said he would report to his radio program over dyAB on the first working day of 2008.

According to Lastimosa, his trip was planned and finalized long before the raffling off of his case.

“Technically, and quite unfortunately, I’ll end the year as a fugitive. But, I would like to assure everyone that I do not have any intention of evading arrest,” he said.

Lastimosa explained that he is leaving his fate to his lawyer and to the people who have generously given him money for his bail. He said he is even willing to go to jail if necessary.

“I would like to assure Gov. Garcia that I am not alone in this cause and that there are other Cebuanos who, despite her enormous power, vindictiveness and intolerance to dissent, will not hesitate to stand up and fight for the truth,” he added.

The other day, the court issued the warrant of arrest against Lastimosa following his indictment by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office for the crime of libel.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Garcia against Lastimosa’s alleged malicious columns in The Freeman. — Fred P. Languido/LPM