Furious at her new sister-in-law, Asst. City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro yesterday took the first steps in filing a libel case against Cebu Provincial Board (PB) Member Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez.
Castro, who is seeking P50 million in damages, accused the Capitol official of sending her defamatory text messages on her mobile phone last Oct. 23 and 24.
She told reporters that Gigi was mad at her and feared she would siphon the family’s wealth after the prosecutor suddenly married her younger brother Leodegreco “Greco” Sanchez last August.
Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro takes an oath before Talisay City prosecutor Marcial Rubia for her affidavit for a libel complaint against her sister-in-law PB Member GIgi Sanchez whose brother Greco, said his marriage with Castro is over. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
The prosecutor, who is no stranger to controversy, was back in the limelight when Greco in a press conference on Monday said someone drove off with his brand-new Ford Ranger pickup parked in the Capitol compound and that he had left Castro after barely two weeks of marriage.
BIZARRE
The relationship with its bizarre elements of a sudden Muslim wedding, Greco’s repeated drug rehabilitation record, the prosecutor’s colorful record of controversies, and Sanchez’s own political trials as a candidate for congress, has kept the public guessing what would happen next.
Greco marks his 42nd birthday today. Castro told reporters she hopes they can reconcile and offered as a birthday gift “my love. I believe there’s forever. Till death do us part.”
PB Member Sanchez, in an interview, said she has never texted Castro and doesn’t know her mobile phone number.
“How in the world have I interfered with their marriage? They are two consenting adults. They are responsible for the decisions they make in their lives. It is their problem,” the PB member said.
Last Monday, the three siblings, Greco, Gigi and youngest sister Gerlaida Sanchez-Spiller were in the PB member’s office to finalize signing for the donation of a family lot in Consolacion town to Cebu province for construction for a center for children in conflict with the law.
“It is a noble decision of my siblings as a remembrance of our father former vice governor Greg Sanchez. We take pride in saying this is for the people,” she added.
After the meeting, Greco went out and found out that his new SUV was gone from the parking lot.
In a press conference, he showed Facebook photos of his new wife posing with the missing SUV and wearing a Rolex watch owned by his late father, which Greco said he wanted to get back.
He and his elder sister then went to the NBI and PNP Highway Patrol Group to report the missing SUV.
Yesterday, HPG personnel came to secure a copy of the video footage of the Capitol’s Closed-circuit television (CCTV) to help identify who drove off with the SUV.
No car alarm had sounded, indicating there was no forced entry.
“She has the duplicate key. If the car is with her (Castro) ,no problem . She can keep it. We just want to know where it is,” said the PB member, acknowledging that the SUV is jointly owned by the married couple.
Whoever drove off with the vehicle “had no fear of taking it in front of everyone in the Capitol”, she said.
Prosecutor Castro vented her anger at Sanchez saying the eldest sister-in-law “scripted” the vehicle’s disappearance.
“The complaint is coming from my brother. How can I carnap a vehicle? I don’t even drive,” said the PB member
Their younger sister Gerlaida, who is visiting from Canada, said she was “shocked” by the sudden marriage of Greco to the prosecutor in August “because all I know is that he has a wife and that is Maricel.”
“We can buy new car for our brother. Our point here is who got the car?” she asked.
Greco has two minor children with Maricel Gregory, the woman whose photo Prosecutor Castro earlier showed in her own press conference as the one who allegedly stole the SUV from a car wash shop on Oct. 13 with an unidentified man.
Gregory is Greco’s common-law wife. Greco reportedly wants to resume their life together.
AFFIDAVIT
Castro had her affidavit subscribed before Talisay Chief Prosecutor Marshall Rubia.
She prepared six cases for libel against Sanchez in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.The cases were not yet docketed at the request of Castro who said she plans to submit newspaper clippings as evidence.
The affidavit said the text messages “tend to dishonor and placed me in public contempt and ridicule,” by calling her names and falsely accusing her of being a “gold digger”.
Castro listed various educational honors, citations, and professional accolades she received in past years.
Castro said the text messages came from an unknown sender but that she was able to trace the mobile phone to the PB member with the help of friends.
Castro said she once contacted the number using another mobile phone and that her sister-in-law, answered it.
Castro said she still hopes to reconcile with her new husband.
“Greco and I are going through tough times. But as our wedding theme song goes ‘God gave me you.’ I committed to love him forever. So I’ll stand by my man. Love knows no boundaries,” she added.
The 46-year-old prosecutor said she will would offer Mass in Talisay City today to thank the Lord for giving her the opportunity to know and love Greco.
Castro bantered with reporters at the prosecutors’ office yesterday before she suddenly turned emotional.
“Nadutlan baya gyud ko niya. (Greco has really touched my life). I’ve done so much for him. I don’t know why he suddenly left me,” said Castro as she wiped away tears.
“I know we are meant to be. He knows where to find me. As he said ‘Mary Ann is my home,” she added.
The two got married in Muslim ceremony at Harold’s Hotel in Cebu City last Aug. 18, a day after Greco was released from a government drug rehabilitation center.
Greco reportedly converted to Islam so they could marry.
Greco’s has two sons from his first marriage to Kathy Magnase, which hasn’t been annulled yet.
Castro, on the other hand, had her marriage annulled in 2014.
The prosecutor said she was surprised at Greco’s lament that the SUV was missing.
She said the vehicle was missing much earlier on Oct. 13 and that she filed a police complaint for carnapping after the SUV was stolen by a man and woman while the SUV was being serviced in a car wash station in barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
Castro said she and Greco jointly own the vehicle, purchased for P1.62 million on Sept. 1. But the prosecutor said she is still paying for the vehicle by installment.