Baligod, ‘bagmen’ post bail in cyberlibel case

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Levito Baligod and the 18 “bagmen” posted P10,000 bail yesterday before the Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 123 for the cyberlibel case lodged by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Baligod said that the DOJ’s national prosecution service (NPS) committed violations in filing the case before he and his co-accused could file a motion for reconsideration.

“It’s in the rules that you have 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration. That’s part of due process. The 15 days were not over when they lodged the complaint here. The DOJ and NPS deprived us of our right to due process,” Baligod said.

He said they did not use social media in their allegations on the delivery of cash-filled suitcases to personalities so they could not have committed libel in cyberspace.

“What the complainants showed were social media posts we did not publish. Where is the violation there?” Baligod said.

He argued that they had no access to media networks in publishing the testimonies about the delivery of the money bags.

Aside from the case in the Caloocan court, which has set the arraignment and pre-trial conference on Aug. 19, Baligod and the other accused are facing multiple criminal charges in the regional trial courts of Las Piñas, Muntinlupa and San Juan.