Pro-Duterte VACC sues Duterte accuser

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) on Wednesday sued consumer advocate Perfecto Tagalog for misrepresenting himself as member of the VACC when he accused Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and members of his family of being involved in smuggling.

VACC chair Martin Diño and spokesperson Boy Evangelista led the filing of the deceit complaint (Article 318 of Revised Penal Code) with the Quezon City prosecutor’s office against Tagalog, secretary general of  the Coalition of Filipino Consumers.

“The acts of Mr. Tagalog of misrepresenting himself as member of VACC and maliciously besmirching and prejudicing the name of presidential candidate Mayor Duterte and his family, are affront to our organization and its members,” the complaint said.

“Undoubtedly, Mr. Tagalog deceitfully claimed that he is a member of VACC to lend credence to his accusation against Mayor Duterte and to mislead the public, for his own personal gains and benefits, and that of his handlers, cohorts and the ‘man behind,’” the complaint added.

In a media forum in Quezon City last week, Tagalog accused Duterte and his son Paolo of having conspired with former National Food Authority administrator Lito Banayo and trader Davidson Bangyan (alias David Tan) in rice smuggling.  Banayo is Duterte’s chief political strategist.