Paras mulls suing Villarin ‘for destroying my good name’

FILE – Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras

Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras on Wednesday night said he may file charges against Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin for “destroying my good name” after the congressman accused him of stealing his phone at a Congressional hearing last March.

The word war between the two has further intensified after Villarin, in a privilege speech, asked the House of Representatives to censure Paras and ban him entering House premises because of his theft complaint against the latter.

READ: Villarin vs Paras

“I am therefore studying to file a case for damages against him for destroying my good name,” Paras said in a statement.

Villarin also branded Paras as “an indecent man” during his speech.

But Paras said: “Villarin is the one who is indecent. Using the plenary to deliver his so-called privilege speech to spread his lies and make a malicious accusation against me is cowardice.”

Paras, a former congressman himself, said Villarin should have waited for him to receive a copy of his complaint and answer it, saying he is “entitled to due process of law.”

Paras also downplayed Villarin’s speech as “squid tactics because his complaint is very weak and has no leg to stand.”

“He cannot get the proper authority to rule in his favor because he is a big liar,” he said.

“Lastly, who is he to call for disallowing me from entering The House. I’ve been a three-termer congressman and I earned the good image of being decent and hard-working,” he added.

Villarin said the incident when Paras allegedly “snatched” his iPhone X worth P74,000 at a congressional hearing last March was caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

He consequently filed theft charges against Paras before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office last Monday.

READ: Villarin files theft charges vs Paras

But Paras had already dismissed all these allegations as malicious and political./ac

READ: Labor Usec denies stealing Akbayan lawmaker’s phone