Tomas Files Libel Vs Radio Anchor

Former Cebu City congressman Tomas R. Osmeña has filed a libel complaint before the City Prosecutor’s Office against radio and TV broadcaster Pablito “Bobby” Nalzaro.

Osmeña said that Nalzaro allegedly claimed that Osmeña fabricated evidences to support the latter’s filing of 38 counts of administrative charges against City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas.

Osmeña had filed charges against Cuevas before the Department of Finance in Manila claiming that Cuevas allegedly ‘did not follow good fiscal management’, which was why the Commission on Audit (COA) had issued 39 adverse legal opinions of the city’s financial transactions last year.

Commenting on the matter, Nalzaro, in his radio program and newspaper column, allegedly accused Osmeña of fabricating evidences purposely to pin downs Cuevas.

“Iyang gibutang sa Internet ug sa iyang newspaper column that the cases that I filed against Diwa, some of them are fabricated. So I’m challenging him in court and he must prove that it is fabricated,” Osmeña said.

“I have to defend myself and I will also prove in court that Nalzaro is a liar,” he added.

But the veteran radio and TV broadcaster said he welcomed the filing of complaints, saying “It is the prerogative of anybody to file charges, especially against us in the media.”

“Ako wala g’yud ko makaila nianang Diwa Cuevas, wala ko maka-meet niya personally. Pero I can express my sympathy niya kay mora’g siya maoy napagan sa away sa politika nila ni Tommy ug Mayor Mike Rama,” said Nalzaro.

He argued that it is easy to file a case. He said he was just asking if Osmeña has basis in his numerous complaints against Cuevas.

“Unsa man kanang gi-file ni Tommy nga mga kaso batok ni Cuevas, duna gyud nay mga basihanan? Wala kaha na pun-i niya? Wala kaha na mao-maoha lang aron g’yud matangtang si Diwa pagka treasurer?” Nalzaro said.

He also wondered why it was Osmeña who did the filing himself instead of the state auditors. He added that it is the COA that files charges if there is a major violation of state audit procedures committed by the government officials and employees.

Osmeña had explained to Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima that the cases he filed against Cuevas and the city accountant were purely based on the findings of COA, which found several lapses in the Cebu City government’s 2013 financial transactions.

Osmeña had asked Purisima that Cuevas, whom Rama handpicked to serve as city treasurer, be removed from her position purportedly to prevent her from committing again the same violations of audit procedures.

One of the transactions that Osmeña questioned was the granting of P20,000 as calamity financial assistance to each of the over 4,200 officials and employees of the city that state auditors said was highly irregular.

Lawyer Reymelio Delute, one of Osmeña’s supporters, had also filed complaints against Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, and 12 city councilors before the Office of the President, which in turn directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government to investigate, in relation to the said financial assistance.

Osmeña said that while the cash aid was to serve as calamity financial assistance, P61.1 million of the P84 million given was sourced not from the calamity fund but from an account under the City Administrator’s Office and the transactions were recorded as “donations.”