By: Jim Lloyd Dongiapon
Vice presidential candidate Walden Bello formally filed his counter affidavit Wednesday morning, April 20, against the ₱10-million cyber libel lawsuit filed by former Davao City Information Officer Jefry Tupas before the Office of the City Prosecutor at the Hall of Justice in Davao City.
Last month, Tupas filed raps against Bello due to the latter’s claim that she was involved in the drug raid in Davao de Oro last year and that she was allegedly a drug user.
Bello was accompanied by his legal counsels, senatorial aspirant Atty. Luke Espiritu, Atty. Dan Balucos, and Atty. Kat Leuch.
Bello said he is suspecting that someone was behind the cyber libel raps filed by Tupas against him.
In addition, Atty. Espiritu stated that the said case has no basis since the statement was made by Bello as an argument against Davao City Mayor and Vice presidential candidate Inday Sara Duterte that she has an employee that is involved in illegal drugs.
On the same day, Bello entered the premises of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and even took pictures inside the session hall with him even sitting at the seat of Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who is the presiding officer of the city council.
He said he went there to personally ask for a copy of the resolution passed by the 19th City Council that declared him as “persona non grata” due to his allegations that Davao City is the center of the drug trade in southern Philippines.
Meanwhile, Tupas’ legal counsel, Atty. Caesar S. Europa has reacted to the counter affidavit filed by Bello.
“Wa pa ko kabasa (I haven’t read it yet), but of course it is part and parcel of the right of Mr. Bello to due process for him to be given the opportunity to file his counter affidavit,” Europa said.