For allegedly maligning her reputation, Mary Ann sues Cerge for P20 million

CEBU, Philippines - Controversial prosecutor Mary Ann Castro yesterday filed a criminal complaint for libel against Acting Executive Secretary and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde after the Malacañang official asked for her recall from the Bureau of Immigration and that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against her for alleged irregularities.

Castro filed the complaint before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office where she is assigned as assistant prosecutor. Castro said she will demand P20 million in damages from Remonde.

Remonde, in an interview with The Freeman, refuses to comment on the matter saying: “I do not want to dignify her”.

Castro accused Remonde of maligning her reputation by allegedly causing the publication of a supposed “privileged communication”.

She said Remonde’s office provided the members of the media in Cebu a copy of his letter to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez asking for her immediate recall from the BI and appropriate disciplinary action.

She also questioned why BI regional director Casimiro Madarang III was copy furnished of the letter, thus letting the other employees of the BI know of the alleged derogatory remarks against her.

Castro said that Remonde impresses to the mind of the reader that she should be sanctioned immediately without affording her the chance to explain and defend herself.

“It baffles my mind how Secretary Remonde could have received the alleged report personally. Does he mean that he is personally interested in the affairs of the bureau in Cebu?” Castro’s complaint read.

“It taxes my mind to breaking point why an Acting Executive Secretary of the Philippines ‘for only a few days’ would poke his nose in the internal affairs of a government agency in the Visayas,” Castro said.

She questioned Remonde’s alleged interest in “controlling the bureau” rather than dealing with the problems of the country.

“I understand that he has a lapdog who wanted to occupy the helm of BI Cebu but who eventually moved out for mysterious reason,” she added.

Castro was apparently referring to Press Undersecretary Romeo Junia who was then detailed at the BI in Cebu. Junia and Castro traded cases before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Castro likened Remonde’s alleged “wielding of mighty influence” against her to the Gestapo of Adolf Hitler during World War II.

Madarang will be filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas today.

The complainant’s lawyer Kim Grace Mendoza, on behalf of his client Mr. Hideo Kikuchi, Ron Elier Rodis and Elizabeth Cabilin, have submitted their affidavit-complaints to Madarang.

Madarang said the affidavit-complaint of the said complainants will be filed before the Ombudsman today to further bolster all the charges of alleged extortion against Castro.

Mendoza in her four-page affidavit-complaint dated April 13, 2009 said in order for his client to avoid admonition, Castro answered, “give the Mitsubishi Pajero and Mercedes Benz and the deportation case will be dismissed”.

Castro is currently assigned at the BI as acting chief of the Board of Special Inquiry apart from her duty as a prosecutor.

Mendoza said that her client did not submit to the whims of Castro and the passport of her client was reportedly surreptitiously taken back by Castro.

 “I demand that this matter be looked into and proper action be taken by the Bureau of Immigration or any duly constituted government authority in order to correct this irregularity,” Mendoza said.

When asked for comment, Castro refused to answer the allegations saying: “Establish first if Mendoza is existing before I will give my reaction”.

Madarang said Mendoza does exist and was the one who submitted to him the affidavit-complaint. Mendoza, Madarang said, is one of the children of Comelec Commissioner Regalado Maambong.

Mendoza was not available for comment yesterday.

Another affidavit-complaint both signed by Rodis, an American citizen and Cabilin, a Filipina asked Madarang why Castro is holding back their papers and why the processing payment was so highly overpriced.

Cabilin and Rodis are filing for an application of retention/re-acquisition of citizenship they were asked to pay P15,000 which is a package deal, such amount is reportedly small compared to the P50,000 that both have if they will go to Manila.

Madarang said that filing fee is only P2,500 not P15,000.

Madarang admitted that he asked help from Remonde about their problem with Castro.

“Gihangyo ko ni Secretary Cerge nga ibutang ko diri to clean this bureau and we cannot do that unless Castro is around. I have nothing personal against her, trabaho ra gyud ni,” Madarang said. —/BRP (THE FREEMAN)