Source: Bohol Sunday Post Newspaper
The Regional Trial Court finds 12 members of a cooperative in Inabanga guilty in a libel case filed by Provincial Board Member Josephine Socorro Jumamoy and former Inabanga Mayor Jose Jumamoy.
In a 14-page decision, RTC Branch 47 Judge Suceso Arcamo meted a P100,000 fine to accused Julie Torreon, Zita Conson, Adeline Ybañez, German Divinagracia, Damaso dela Peña, Manuel Pizarras Jr., Jesuree Bautista, Ignacio Amolo, Lourdes Melencion, Rev. Fr. Domingo Boiser Jr., Lydia Misa and Nelda Cadeliña.
Finding them guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the court likewise ordered each of the accused to pay a fine of P3,000 each with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.
The case stemmed from a defamatory article published in a local newspaper by officers and members of St. Paul the Apostle Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative on October 27, 2002.
The article which read in part as follows: “For the knowledge of all, Inabanga is the bailiwick of a politician who was the opponent and was defeated by Congressman Cajes in the last election. The family of this politician has controlled the town for 15 years. This politician is well known in the town of intimidating and threatening his opponents and enemies in politics, etc…â€
Based on evidences and testimonies of witnesses, Arcamo found that the four essential elements of the crime of libel were present.
The decision said that imputing the commission of the crime of intimidation, coercion and grave threats, as cited in the published article, besmirched, discredited and put in contempt the persons of the private complainants.
The court likewise found the publication malicious and identified the Jumamoys as the ones referred to in the article who have ruled Inabanga for 15 years by intimidating and threatening opponents.
Arcamo cited a cross examination of the complainants’ counsel, Atty. Alexander Lim on Fr. Boiser (one of the accused), who admitted that the subject of the said published article were the Jumamoys even though their names were not mentioned.
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Topic: 12 Bol-anons from Inabanga Found Guilty of Libel (Read 3538 times)