Garganera faces libel raps from Osmeña, BO-PK councilor candidate

Inayawan Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo (right), along with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, has filed two counts of cyberlibel against Cebu City Joel Garganera (left) for accusing him of being uncooperative in the construction of a police station in the barangay. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera is facing a P4 million lawsuit for allegedly maligning Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Inayawan Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo on social media.

Garganera received a subpoena dated April 10, 2019 from Office of the Prosecutor in Cebu City that two counts of libel were filed by the officials both running under the banner of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).

Osmeña is seeking reelection as Cebu City mayor, while Repollo is running as councilor of the South District.

Garganera is seeking reelection for councilor of North District under Partido Barug-PDP Laban.

Garganera will have to file his counter affidavit within 10 days of receipt from the subpoena or else the evidences presented by Osmeña and Repollo will be admitted to the court.

The libel case stemmed from Garganera’s Facebook post on March 5, 2019 at the height of Repollo’s dispute with the police on the location of a new police station in Barangay Inayawan.

In Garganera’s post, he posted images of the groundbreaking ceremony on April 18, 2018 of the proposed police station.

Garganera said the police station will sit in a 566-square-meter lot across the barangay hall.

He said the project will cost P5 million, which will be paid by the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“Unfortunately, the Mayor (Tomas Osmeña) stopped the said construction for reasons only him and the present barangay captain can explain,” Garganera said in the Facebook post.

“This morning, CCPO, Station 7 and PDEA was able to confiscate 18 kilos of shabu said to be worth P120 plus million in Fatima Homes, Inayawan, Cebu City, which is very near the proposed police station,” he added.

According to the joint affidavit of Osmeña and Repollo, Garganera’s post gathered negative comments from netizens. They also said the post contained serious allegations against them in line with the illegal drugs campaign of the PNP.

Garganera said he is confident that the libel case will be dismissed as he defended that there was nothing libelous about his post.

He said what he posted were only mere facts and he is not responsible for the comments of the netizens about his post.

“It’s just a narrative of facts. There is nothing libelous there. I pity the barangay captain of Inayawan, he is supposed to be a lawyer. He should know his laws,” said Garganera.

He said Repollo should not be onion-skinned in his political career and should welcome criticisms.

Garganera said he would no longer file any case against them because he believes the mayor and the barangay chief should focus their energies on improving the city.

Meanwhile, Repollo said he is confident that the case will prosper given the evidences they presented.

“His allegations were baseless and groundless. It was really posted with malice in his part,” said Repollo. / celr