Garcia's lawyer: Gicas' complaint a "squid tactic"

The lawyer of Dumanjug mayor-elect Nelson Garcia has dismissed the criminal charges against her client as “squid tactics” of the latter’s political rival because of the criminal complaints that they have filed ahead.

Lawyer Coeli Fiel yesterday said that the complaints for direct and indirect assault and attempted homicide that the camp of defeated Dumanjug mayoral candidate Efren “Gun-Gun” Gica filed against her client were products of afterthoughts.

The Gica brothers filed criminal complaints against the mayor-elect, his nephew Lou Oliver Garcia, Fulton Francis Riconalla, Ipot Gicale, Gebral Zozobrado, Nilo Quirante, Jojo Quirante, Willie Cabag and Rafael Baritua and two unidentified people.

According to Fiel, they have filed criminal charges ahead against Efren and his brother Erwin for physical injuries and frustrated homicide after they allegedly shot Garcia’s nephew and mauled Riconalla.

The police said four witnesses executed affidavits identifying Efren as the one who beat up Riconalla. Erwin was allegedly the one who shot Lou Oliver in the shoulder last May 12.

 “So obviously, their criminal charges are clear aftermath thought perhaps to preempt their defense in the criminal charges which we filed ahead,” said Fiel.

“I find it funny that they are trying to seek public approval when they filed these baseless criminal complaints against my client,” the lawyer said.

Fiel warned the Gicas against issuing defamatory statements, especially, in alluding to her client as “drug addict.”

“They have to be wary in issuing defamatory statement. Besides, the campaign period is over. Defamatory statements, if unfounded, are no longer immune from prosecution. They should not push us against the wall,” Fiel said.

Fiel said her client is willing to undergo a drug test and will provide the media a copy of the result of the examination only to refute the allegations of his political critics.

“We have no other intention of dragging the public into this mess. We will prove our case before the proper forum and we have no other intention in dignifying in public statements that will be issued by the other camp because it will only be an indicative of their bitterness from their defeat in the elections,” said Fiel. — Jasmin U. Labaco/FPL   (FREEMAN NEWS)