Court orders arrest of Bishop Cruz for libel
By Tina Santos, Jeannette Andrade
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:19:00 05/14/2008
MANILA, Philippines--Arrest the archbishop.
A Manila judge on Monday issued a warrant of arrest for an unusual suspect--Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz--in connection with the libel charges filed against him by employees of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) almost four years ago.
Judge Antonio Rosales of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52 recommended P10,000 bail for the Church leader's provisional liberty.
Court records showed that Cruz, through his lawyer Estelito Mendoza, filed a motion to post bail on April 28. In his motion, the prelate asked the court that he be allowed to post bail at the Dagupan Regional Trial Court.
Mendoza also claimed in his motion that his client "does not concede the appropriateness of the issuance of a warrant for his arrest on the ground that no probable cause exists to justify his arrest and reserves the right to assert any or all grounds that would justify instead the dismissal of the information."
The judge issued the order granting Cruz's motion to post bail on May 9.
Government's ire
Cruz, who is in Pangasinan, told the Inquirer that he had not seen the arrest warrant issued by Rosales.
The archbishop said he would not issue a statement until after he personally saw the warrant, adding that he would be in Manila Wednesday.
In previous interviews, Cruz maintained that the libel suit filed against him by female employees of Pagcor was proof that he had truly earned the government's ire, stressing that he did not take the libel charge too seriously because it was merely intended to shut him up.
He further alleged that the lawsuit was being pushed by Pagcor and not those he purportedly offended by his statement because he was only defending the women's dignity and honor.
Dismissed case reversed
The libel case stemmed from a statement that Cruz made on June 28, 2004, wherein he slammed the birthday party for the President's husband Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo for its "exploitation" of "women (government) employees" who were made to "entertain" the celebrator and "close associates" like "pitiful GRO (guest relations officers)."
Cruz said the women, who were marketing assistants at Pagcor, were instructed to "dance with them" and "don't wear your wedding rings" before they were brought to Malacañang to entertain guests during the birthday party for Mike Arroyo on June 26, 2004.
The Manila city prosecutor's office had previously dismissed the complaint filed by the women against Cruz.
But the Department of Justice reversed the Manila prosecutor's decision.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, upon review, said the Church leader had defamed the women. Last month, he ordered the refiling of libel charges against Cruz.
The Pagcor employees who filed a case against Cruz were Sharleen G. Tecson, Daylyn Cabianan, Michelle S. Masbate, Kristine Joy G. Morales, Agnes T. de Guzman, Lorica E. Canto, Ma. Consuelo Violeta, Rizza E. Panganiban, Maylene Mandariaga, Elizabeth S. Berme, Cherry Ann B. Ilano, Ma. Bianca J. Gonzales, Joy Anne B. Gustilo, Ana Mirabilla A. Rosales, Ritzel C. Aday, Ma. Daisy A. Rivera and Mylynn M. Manabat.
The employees said they worked in various positions as corporation events promotion tourism specialists, administrative supervisors, marketing associates, advertising sales coordinators, assistant branch marketing managers, marketing associates, receptionists and clerks.
Three others--Leah Salvador, Cecille Bermas and Mielin G. Medalla--were from the office of Mike Arroyo.
Usherettes, not GROs
The 20 women claimed they volunteered to serve as usherettes at the party and led guests, who consisted mainly of married couples, to their tables. They also said they arrived at Malacañang at 5 p.m. and not at midnight, as claimed by Cruz.
They said they wore decent, below-the-knee dresses and were not told to remove their wedding rings. They added that they were not promised jewelry, as alleged by the prelate.
The women said Cruz's statement maliciously made it appear that they committed actions that caused them dishonor or besmirched their reputations. They also said that Cruz, by circulating his statement without verifying its contents, acted recklessly.
In its July 2, 2004, issue, the Inquirer reported that Cruz "will not contest the case. I will not get a lawyer. I will not post bail. I will allow myself to go to jail."
Last month, the Inquirer again reported that Cruz was not afraid to go to jail. He was quoted as saying: "On my part, I'll just wait and see what's in store for me. If they (government) take me to prison, I'll go there but they have to feed me. That will again be an expense, especially in these days when there is no rice."
Apologize
In its July 4, 2004, issue, the Inquirer reported that the women would consider withdrawing the suit if the archbishop apologized, according to Pagcor media coordinator Edward King.
Cruz apologized a few days later, but not to the women employees he referred to as "guest relations officers," not to Pagcor and not to Mike Arroyo.
He apologized to the people whose relationships and hard-earned money, he said, had been lost to the gambling agency.
|
