Cebu scandal reaches next step: Vice mayor’s wife faces charges

LAWYER Jiecel Tiu

CEBU CITY—The wife of a vice mayor is facing trial for attacking with a baseball bat a lawyer she suspected of having an affair with her husband.

Judge Grace Veloso-Fernandez, of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 8, set the arraignment for slight physical injuries for Pearl Ungab on
Feb. 3, 2016. Pearl is the wife of Jonah John Ungab, vice mayor of Ronda town.

The arraignment was set after City Prosecutor Rogelio del Prado Jr. remanded to the court the case filed by lawyer Jiecel Tiu against Pearl after conducting a reinvestigation of the case.

 No sufficient basis

In a report to Judge Fernandez, Del Prado said there was no sufficient basis to reverse an earlier ruling downgrading the charges against Pearl from frustrated murder to slight physical injuries.

But Tiu’s lawyers, Rex Fernandez and Alisha Tiu, disagreed with Del Prado’s ruling and asked the Department of Justice to review it.

Pearl and Tiu figured in a verbal confrontation at the parking lot of Centro Maximo mall where Tiu holds office.

 Affair

Pearl had accused Tiu of having an affair with her husband, which Tiu denied.

The two women were riding in separate cars when Pearl allegedly chased and rammed Tiu’s vehicle.

Pearl went out of her vehicle and hit Tiu with a baseball bat. The confrontation took place on Feb. 26.

Tiu’s medical certificate showed that she suffered hematoma in the left ear, left shoulder, left knee and hand, aside from scratches and cuts.

The lawyer originally filed charges of frustrated murder against Pearl.

 ‘No intention to kill’

But Assistant Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas downgraded the charges to slight physical injuries saying Pearl showed “no intention to kill.”

The court ordered the city prosecutor’s office to conduct a reinvestigation of the case upon the request of Tiu and her lawyers.

Tiu claimed Pearl meant to kill her and that the proper charge should be frustrated murder.

But Prosecutor Del Prado, who reinvestigated the case, said Rabillas made the right decision of downgrading the charge from frustrated murder to slight physical injuries.

While Pearl may have had an intention to harm Tiu, Del Prado said Tiu failed to present enough proof to show that the purpose of the attack was to kill her.