Caparas no-show at libel hearing

MANILA, Philippines - Movie director Carlo Caparas and his wife Donna Villa have failed to appear at the Quezon City prosecutor’s office for the preliminary investigation of the libel case filed against them by detained former policeman Rizal Alih.

According to Alih’s lawyer Fernando Pena, the subpoena for the couple to appear before Assistant City Prosecutor Rueben Veradio was sent via snail mail so it’s possible that they were not able to receive it.

The preliminary investigation was reset to Oct. 2.

Last month, Alih slapped Caparas and Villa with libel over the 1989 film “Arrest Patrolman Alih: Zamboanga Massacre.”

The film – which depicts him as the killer of Brig. Gen. Eduardo Batalla – was about the 1989 siege of Camp Cawa-Cawa in Zamboanga City that led to the death of Batalla, Colonel Romeo Abendan, and several of Alih’s supporters.