Garma will still pursue cyberlibel case against Basillote’s wife

Colonel Royina Garma, director of Cebu City Police Office, says she will still file a case against Eddie Basillote’s partner. CDND FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — She may have taken a pause because of the busy midterm elections, but the cyberlibel case against the common-law wife of Eddie Basillote is far from being forgotten.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, May 15, Colonel Royina Garma, director of the Cebu City Police Office, said she is preparing an airtight case against Basillote’s partner, whose full name was never revealed.

Garma’s plan to file a cyberlibel case stemmed from Basillote’s partner’s statement that Garma “threatened” to kill her family, including her cousins, if the video of the alleged police brutality will not be taken down.

READ: Alleged threat from CCPO chief claimed; Garma to suspect’s ‘wife’: Prove it

READ: Garma to file cyber libel case against Basillote’s common law wife

A CCTV footage that was time stamped April 18 went viral the week after it was taken.

The footage showed at least six men believed to be police personnel from Talamban Police Station, mauling three individuals including Basillote.

Basillote’s partner, in a videotaped interview with the media on April 28, revealed that the police made threats against them.

Garma said they are now preparing the necessary documents to move forward with the case. She said it is important that the case is backed up with substantial evidence.

Garma said she wants the case to be filed soon.

“Kung gusto mo ng quality investigation, hindi mo pwedeng i-rush ‘yan,” Garma said.

(If you want quality investigation, then you just don’t rush it.) /celr