THE so-called 18 former Marines who accused members of the House prosecution panel of receiving alleged suitcase deliveries do not deserve any platform to spread unsupported claims against lawmakers without details, proof or accountability.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts and a member of the House prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, made the statement during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City when asked if he was willing to personally face the former Marines in any forum.
“I don’t think they deserve any platform to further their lies and we will not be a party to it,” Ridon added.
The question was raised after fellow prosecution panel member Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong earlier expressed readiness to surrender parliamentary courtesy and appear if the former Marines were invited again to prove that their allegations were false.
“Walang problema ang harapin sa anumang forum po ang 18 Marines. Pero ang problema, dapat may detalye ‘yung paratang,” Ridon explained.
Ridon drew a distinction between facing a specific, detailed accusation and participating in a setting where bare allegations are repeated in a way that gives them more public weight than they deserve.
“Kasi kung haharapin mo tapos iyon lang iyong paratang, parang i-raise mo pa sila ng platform. So at the moment, what they had made against House members, against the House prosecution panel are barefaced lies and allegations,” Ridon stressed.
Ridon was also asked whether he was considering legal action against the former Marines, especially after some members of Congress and the prosecution panel had already filed complaints over the accusations.
“Yun pong mga kasamahan natin sa Kongreso at sa prosecution panel, sa pagkakaalam ko ay nag-file na po sila ng libel, cyber libel sa 18 Marines. Sa bahagi natin, tingin natin huwag na natin pansinin, eh hindi ho ba,” Ridon stated.
For now, Ridon indicated that he was not inclined to give the claims more attention, but he made clear that repeated attacks could force him to pursue legal remedies if the former Marines continue making allegations in the coming months.
“Kasi katulad nung nasabi ko kanina, a barefaced lie yung testimony. But of course, we are reserving future legal action in the event na talaga hindi rin sila tumigil sa paglikha po ng kasinungalingan in the next couple of months,” Ridon warned.
Atty. Dino de Leon, public interest lawyer and convenor of Team Pinas, also weighed in during the forum, saying his clients had already taken legal steps after similar allegations were repeated against them.
“Mabait po kasi si Cong. Terry, ako ‘yung counsel ni Leila De Lima and ni Father Flavie, nag-file na po kami, okay, and in fact nandoon na po kami sa reply affidavit sa Lunes,” De Leon said.
De Leon said the experience of former Sen. Leila de Lima showed why those targeted by repeated falsehoods can no longer allow such claims to spread without legal consequences.
“Dahil po inulit na naman nila, magpa-file po ulit kami or we’re considering filing in consultation with my clients. Why? Because we’ve already learned our lesson,” De Leon explained.
“Siniraan nila nang ganyan si Leila De Lima. Ang dami na nila kung ano-ano ipinukol sa kanya, hindi na kami uulit,” De Leon said.
De Leon also stressed that volunteer lawyers would continue watching and filing cases whenever their clients are targeted by alleged cyber libel or similar attacks.
“Hindi na kami papayag na bababuyin pa ‘yung mga totoong lingkod-bayan natin. So every single time that they commit those crimes against Leila De Lima, us lawyers, volunteer lawyers of Leila De Lima will be watching and will be filing these cases,” De Leon added.
The Team Pinas convenor said his group had already filed complaints and would continue to file new ones every time fresh defamatory acts are committed against their clients.
“So nag-file na po kami at magpa-file ulit kami every single time they commit every single act of cyber libel or any kind of thing against our clients,” De Leon said.
