The former political supporter of Mayor Tomas Osmeña who built the controversial concrete stalls of the Sto. Niño vendors along D. Jakosalem Street has been formally indicted for libel before the court.
The libel case filed against Conchita Tan stemmed from the complaint of transport leader Rudy Laconza, who claimed that she destroyed his credibility in a newspaper report quoting Tan as the source.
The report published in Cebu Daily News last June 5, 2004 said that Tan accused Laconza of trying to collect P5 contributions from his members and also charging them P15 for their identification cards, which they claimed should have been given free of charge.
Tan was also quoted in that published report as saying that Laconza even received allowance from non-government organizations when he organized the Alliance of Transport Organization Members-Intra Cebu City (Atomic), a group of passenger jeepney drivers also allied with the mayor.
City prosecutor Nicolas Sellon approved the recommendation of investigating prosecutor Leceria Ravillas indicting Tan with libel before the court and set her bail bond at P10,000.
But it was learned that Tan is already detained in the Cebu City jail after she was charged and was later convicted for estafa.
The court sentenced Tan to 11 to 18 years in jail for embezzling P62,500 from a cooperative where she used to be a member of the board and served as the treasurer. —Rene U. Borromeo/BRP