Floirendo sues Alvarez for libel, seeks P15M

Pantaleon Alvarez—INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

DAVAO CITY—Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. filed a P15-million libel suit against his erstwhile friend and ousted Speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez, on reports about Alvarez’s real estate purchases in Siargao.

The case stemmed from an accusation made by Alvarez against Floirendo for allegedly spreading information about the former Speaker’s real estate property in Siargao, as well as a public statement made by Alvarez about the surname Floirendo being synonymous with “land grabber.”

In a five-page complaint filed at the Office of the Prosecutor in Quezon City dated August 20, Floirendo cited media reports on the alleged purchase by Alvarez of land in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, worth P500 million.

Land purchases

Four of the parcels of land were allegedly bought during Alvarez’s term as Speaker.

Floirendo recalled that on May 21, Alvarez, at a press briefing in the House of Representatives, claimed that he was able to buy land in Siargao as early as 1996.

However, Alvarez blamed Floirendo for allegedly spreading false information about his Siargao land.

Floirendo cited Alvarez’s statements on social media saying the Floirendos were land grabbers.

“The words chosen were calculated to induce the people, my constituents included, to believe that I am in a campaign against Alvarez and that I am a land grabber,” Floirendo said in his complaint.

Floirendo said being accused of instigating reports about Alvarez’s real estate purchases in Siargao was akin to being accused of “vices and crimes in a public forum.”

Expensive now

The Inquirer earlier reported records of the General Luna municipal assessor’s office showing seven parcels of land in Alvarez’s name in Siargao. Four of these were bought only in 2017, according to the records.

Those bought in 2017 included a 4,856-square-meter lot and a 7,295-sqm lot.