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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

News Writer Files ₱10M Damage Suit Vs. Lawyer

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A newspaper writer filed a case of malicious prosecution against a Bacolod lawyer who accused her of murder and frustrated murder together with 10 others.

Dolly Yasa, Bacolod-based news writer of the Iloilo-based The Daily Guardian, filed Friday the case of malicious mischief, Friday against lawyer Erfe del Castillo at the City Prosecutor’s Office.

Yasa is asking for P10 million for damages.

It can be recalled that Del Castillo accused Yasa of murder and frustrated murder together with businesswoman-celebrity Kate Brios, lawyer Jomax Ortiz, former Bacolod City police Chief Franciso Ebreo and several others for the alleged ambush on her and her alleged fiance former policeman Efren Palmares in December last year.

Plamares died in the ambush.

However, the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office in a decision received by Yasa last May 25, 2019 dismissed the charges against her, Ebreo and two others for lack of probable case.

In her decision, Proseccutor Marie Crystal May C. Vega dela Cerna said that as to the claim of del Castillo that Yasa and Ebreo were part or co-conspirators in the ambush failed to present any direct or pieces of circumstantial evidence enough to warrant the finding of probable cause.

COUNTER SUIT.

In her complaint affidavit, former Negros Press Club president Yasa said that since the time del Castillo announced the filing of the case last Feb. 24, 2019 in a press conference where she also named Yasa and the other respondents, until the time she received the decision last May 25, 2019, she was always troubled as she could not reconcile within herself how she could be accused and implicated in such a case as she is just doing her job as journalist.

Yasa also said that the press conference of Del Castillo was carried live on Facebook by some reporters and was also broadcasted in airlanes, published in the newspapers both local and national as well as televised by TV networks also both local and national.

Yasa said that her routine as a journalist was adversely affected as she refrained from attending press conferences and also avoided media gatherings.

She said that while she tried to retain composure and go about, deep inside she is troubled and disturbed and had sleepless nights as she is haunted by questions like”why me?”

She added that because of the accusation of del Castillo she also had to explain to her superiors and to her children.

“The physical, mental and psychological strain, stress burden upon me because Atty. Erfe del Castillo implicated me in the case without substantial proof and basis is irreparable, the time I would have been free of worry during the time the case was filed until it was dismissed can no longer be recovered, the happiness I could have felt even on simple things while I am enjoying my time with my children and my grand daughters can never be re-experienced, the laughter and camaraderie I would have shared with my colleagues in media outings and hang out is forever lost, for a moment or a minute lost is lost forever,” Yasa said in her affidavit.

Thus Yasa said she is asking the court to order del Castillo to pay her the amount of P10 million for malicious prosecution.

She added that being accused of murder and frustrated murder is no joke. NDB

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