Court clears cop of libel

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court has cleared a policeman from a criminal case for libel filed by a superior officer.

RTC Branch 8 Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul dismissed the libel case against SPO1 Rolando Navales and Gregorio Badilla for lack of evidence.

In a 17-page decision, Hadjirasul ruled that the complainant, Senior Inspector Jason Mangaron, failed to establish that his reputation was ruined by the accused.

 â€œWherefore, for lack of proof beyond reasonable doubt that the accused, Navales and Badilla, are guilty of the offenses of which they are being respectively indicted as above-captioned, they are hereby ordered acquitted thereof,” the decision reads.

Mangaron, who was then chief of police of Carcar City, alleged that the two accused committed the crime of libel when they uttered defamatory words against him over the radio. Navales during a radio interview allegedly accused Mangaron of releasing suspected masiao offenders. Badilla likewise accused Mangaron of allegedly collecting grease money from masiao financiers.

Mangaron did not hear the radio interview but presented Lucia Canete who claimed to have heard it. Cañete said she heard the two accused sometime in 2007 accusing Mangaron of exacting money from masiao operators.

Mangaron said that Badilla had an axe to grind against him because he was previously arrested for carnapping. According to him, Badilla took a motorcycle from the police custody resulting in his arrest.

He denied releasing masiao offenders and accepting money from suspected financiers. Badilla admitted having interviewed over the radio where he told reporter Lloyd Suarez that he did not steal the motorcycle.

Badilla said he was on his way to the house of masiao financiers to collect money upon the instructions of Mangaron.

“This court does not see any motive on the part of accused Badilla to make the above allegations, or the imputations of which he is under indictment, other than to tell the truth as there is no proof of a cause for him to exact revenge against the private complainant, or that he otherwise harbored feelings of spite or ill-will towards him,” Hadjirasul ruled.— (FREEMAN)