Tom O. accepts Guardo apology, drops libel case against him
“I OFFER my apologies.”
This was the statement of businessman Jonathan “Atan” Guardo as he met with Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district yesterday afternoon at the Philippine Mediation Center inside the Palace of Justice.
The two political rivals arrived at an amicable settlement during the mediation proceedings on a libel suit filed by Osmeña against Guardo.
Osmeña withdrew the libel charges he filed against Guardo who in turn issued a public apology to the congressman and the Cebu City government.
“My concern is not about myself but to protect the integrity of the city. Every day people say things against me. Many of them are libelous. (But) it does not matter. I’m so used to that,” said the congressman after the proceedings.
Guardo, for his part, told the media that he was apologizing to Osmeña and the city government—the two complainants in the case.
“They say ‘sorry’ seems to be the hardest word. I say it is not so long as sincerity is at its center. I will say it again: to Congressman Tomas Osmeña and to the Cebu City government, please accept my apologies for any affront caused by my statements,” Guardo said.
“Sometimes, being human, we are prone to overestimating ourselves. During the last elections when I ran against Congressman Osmeña, I may have overestimated myself . And in my drive to serve the public, I said words that may have put the good congressman and the Cebu City government in a bad light,” he said.
Osmeña accepted Guardo’s apology saying it’s time to move on.
Mediator Marissa Puche, in an interview, said she will submit the compromise agreement entered into by the parties to Regional Trial Court Judge Gilbert Moises of Branch 18.
Puche said it’s up to the judge to validate and dismiss the case.
The libel cases stemmed from Guardo ‘s statements published in Sun.Star Cebu last Jan. 10 and 11, 2010.
Guardo accused Cebu City Hall of harassing him when barangay officials allegedly asked that his distribution of relief goods to fire victims be stopped. Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol
