MANILA, Philippines—An executive at the Government Service Insurance System has defended the move of GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia to sue some newspaper columnists with libel.

GSIS executive vice president Enriqueta Disuanco said the filing of libel cases by Garcia against the columnists was not an act of “bullying the press” as charged by critics, but was meant to defend his rights against “baseless,” malicious and damaging allegations.

“Mr. Garcia has no problem with criticism. He welcomes them, in fact. But when certain so-called journalists write about something that is totally baseless and, worse, filled with malice, he feels the need to defend himself,” Disuanco said in a statement.

She was reacting to comments by the moderate labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), of which former Sen. Ernesto Herrera is secretary general, published in newspapers, saying that Garcia’s move to file libel suits against his critics showed he was bullying media.

Herrera was quoted as saying that criticism from the media was an occupational hazard to being a government official. Those who cannot stand the heat should just leave their post, he said.

In response, Disuanco said her boss was used to criticisms but libelous statements should not be taken sitting down.

Garcia filed the libel cases after the columnists wrote that when the GSIS sold its entire 27-percent stake in Manila Electric Co., it involved a P3-billion commission for Garcia or another person who brokered the deal.

The columnists also said that contrary to Garcia’s claims that the GSIS earned from the sale of Meralco shares, the pension fund manager had made a bargain sale to the disadvantage of GSIS members.

Garcia was also accused of conflict of interest because he sits on the board of San Miguel Corp., the company that bought the Meralco shares.

Garcia said he did not attend any meetings of the San Miguel board regarding the plan to buy the Meralco shares. He also denied being paid commission for the sale and stressed that the GSIS sold the shares at a profit.

The libel cases, filed on Nov. 10 with the Pasay prosecutor’s office, were against Philippine Star opinion editor Ramon Lim and columnist Federico Pascual Jr., Business Mirror opinion editor Lynn Ressureccion and columnists Raul Valino and Lito Gagni, Manila Times editor in chief Rene Bas and columnist Dan Mariano, and Antonio Tinio, president of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, who Garcia said was the source of information of the newspaper columnists.