Libel against Remonde dropped

CEBU, Philippines - The office of the Ombudsman in Manila has affirmed the dismissal of the libel case filed by assistant city prosecutor Mary Ann Castro against Press Secretary Cerge Remonde for insufficient evidence to support a finding of probable cause.

In an order signed by graft investigation and prosecution officer II Judy Anne Escalona and approved by overall deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro, she said that the alleged libelous letter does not contain words that are calculated to induce the readers to deduce that the complaint against whom they are written is guilty of certain offenses.

Escalona also said that the article published in a local daily (not this paper) does not present any evidence to prove malice on the part of Secretary Remonde. 

In an interview, Castro said that she does not mind if the Ombudsman has already dismissed the said case as it is already considered as moot and academic. “It’s like water under the bridge so I don’t mind at all.”

Earlier, Cebu City prosecutor Nicolas Sellon requested the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas to approve the resolution of a three-man investigating group which handled Castro’s complaint.

“Considering that the respondent (Remonde) is a presidential appointee and is being charged for an offense allegedly committed while in the performance of his official functions as acting executive secretary, the resolution shall be submitted to the deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas for approval,” Sellon said in his order.

The three-man panel included assistant city prosecutors Ernesto Narido, Eulogio Borres, and Mario Montenegro.Their resolution, however, remains confidential until it is approved by the anti-graft office.

Before they could start, assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago asked Casimiro to investigate and make the approval on Castro’s case.

Santiago said the case, which involves an official of Malacañang, is within the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman Central Office in Manila.

Remonde earlier asked the Department of Justice for Castro’s “immediate recall from the Bureau of Immigration in Central Visayas” and have her investigated because of several complaints lodged against her for alleged extortion and abuse of power.In response, Castro filed a libel complaint against Remonde before the Cebu City Prosecutors Office.

She said that Remonde’s action appears to be part of a grand design to cast aspersions and doubts on her reputation and integrity in order to cause her shame.

As for Remonde, he thanked the Ombudsman for “dismissing it with finality”.

“It was absurd to begin with. I was just exercising my duty as acting executive secretary, to act on documented complaints against suspected corrupt, abusive and reputedly untouchable government officials,” he said. — Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)