CCPO prepares charges against Cebu City councilor

Cebu City North District Councilor Prisca Niña Mabatid. | CDN Digital FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines— The Cebu City Police Office headed by Police Colonel Hector Grijaldo said it is preparing to file a case against Cebu City Councilor Niña Mabatid for violation of the provision of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law.

In a phone interview, Grijaldo said that they are closely working with the Anti-Cybercrime group in Cebu in consolidating all the needed documents in order to file the case on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.

Read: PRO-7 director orders probe on Cebu City Councilor Niña Mabatid

“All of the other processes we are formulating lahat nung kailangan natin na detalye and coordinating with the anti-cybercrime unit, hopefully, today we will have all the case folder to be filed against the persons involved,” said Grijaldo.

(All of the other processes we are formulating and all the needed details and coordinating with the anti-cybercrime unit, hopefully, today we will have all the case folder to be filed against the persons involved.)

Grijaldo said that they have already talked with Mabatid’s lawyer, who told them the north district councilor’s side is ready to face the probe.

Read: Mabatid says she’s ready to face PNP probe

Grijaldo said screenshots from the post will play a very vital role in the filing of the case.

“All of those, ano yun, mga piece or yung mga important na information, documents na pwede natin i attach sa formal charge natin sa kanya,” he said.

(All of those, those are pieces of important information, documents that can be used to be attached to the formal charges that we will be filing against her.)

And according to Grijaldo, the Anti-Cyber Crime Unit has the reason now to file a formal charge with the pieces of evidence that they have gathered.

“Alam na nila ang mga elements andun eh, diba. Pag nagpost ka and if it is malicious, all of those elements are already there, cino-compose nalang natin para to make it a perfect case against the persons committed the crime,” he added.

(They know the elements already, it’s there. If you post something malicious, all of those elements are already there, we are just composing everything to make it a perfect case against the persons committed the crime.)

Grijaldo assured the public that they will not be taking this case lightly.

“No, we are now on a crisis system. Somebody has to work with the government, somebody should work for the public, hindi yung you criticize,  instead, you help you cooperate, you alleged, that is not a good attitude being a public official, we are obliged to follow rules,” he said.

(No, we are now on a crisis system. Somebody has to work with the government, somebody should work for the public, not to criticize, instead, you help you cooperate, you alleged, that is not a good attitude being a public official, we are obliged to follow rules.)

Meanwhile, Mabatid, on Wednesday, read a statement to the media regarding the incident.

Watch it here:

https://www.facebook.com/cdndigital/videos/1149722072036706/

/bmjo