Cari denies harassment allegations

BAYBAY CITY , Philippines   â€”- Mayor Carmen Cari denied the harassment claims of  Marilou “Malot” Galenzoga, her mayoralty opponent in the last May 13 elections.

Cari said the filing of criminal charges against Galenzoga and 57 others had nothing to do with politics, as she only had to protect the interest of the city government against persons who break the law.

 â€œWhy should I harass her when she is already a loser? What benefit I can get from her? Why would I harass people who already lost? That is already double jeopardy,” Cari told the media.

The mayor said that if Galenzoga and her group have no criminal liability, they should not have escaped and hid from authorities who ran after them after “storming the City Hall in their failed take-over last year.”

Cari said she filed criminal charges against Galenzoga and her group for illegal assembly, sedition and damages for destroying the City Police patrol car, fire truck and other property of the city government during a protest rally that resulted in violence.

Galenzoga, through her lawyers, questioned the filing of the criminal charges against them, contending that they were denied of the 15-day reglamentary period for preliminary investigation.

City Prosecutor Rosulo Vivero also denied these allegations, saying there was no irregularity in the filing of the charges against Galenzoga and her group, who are now out on bail, as granted by the court.  (FREEMAN)