Cebu broadcaster found guilty of libel

Cebu Gov Gwen Garcia CDN FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Broadcaster Leo Lastimosa has been found guilty of libel in the case filed against him by former Cebu governor and Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district.

Judge Raphael Yrastoza of Regional Trial Court Branch 14 did not impose any jail term on Lastimosa but directed him to pay P6,000 in fine and P2 million in moral damages to the former governor.

Garcia filed the libel complaint against Lastimosa in relation to the latter’s column in the Freeman titled “Si Doleng Kawatan” (Doleng the thief).

In the column that was written in Cebuano, Lastimosa described Doleng as a “fishmonger, thief, vindictive, ill-tempered, foul-mouthed and cruel.”

Garcia had told the court she felt she was the one alluded to in the column that came out in 2007.