Canturias asks court for temporary release

CEBU, Philippines — Aniceto “Abbey” Canturias, who was convicted of libel for allegedly posting defamatory remarks in a social networking site against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in 2015, asked for his temporary release while he will be filing his motion for reconsideration.

Canturias, a former executive assistant of former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, filed on Tuesday, through counsel, a manifestation with urgent motion for release under the same bond before the sala of Judge Alexander Acosta.

“The accused, through the undersigned counsels, hereby manifests that he will be filing a motion for consideration from the subject decision within the reglamentary period to do so,” read the manifestation.

On July 10, 2018, Acosta convicted Canturias in absentia after he and his counsel failed to appear in the scheduled promulgation. Acosta in his decision, found Canturias guilty beyond reasonable doubt of libel.

He ordered that a warrant of arrest be issued against the accused.

Canturias was arrested on July 16 and is now detained at the Cebu City Jail. He is sentenced to suffer the imprisonment of indeterminate penalty of four years and two months as minimum to eight years as maximum.

Osmeña, who was filing his candidacy for mayor at that time, alleged Canturias posted in his Facebook page defamatory remarks against him.

Because of that post, Osmeña claimed he was maligned, humiliated and even cursed and his wife, Margot.

Canturias denied the accusations filed against him.

He claimed that the statement he posted online was not taken with bad faith or malice and it was made in line with his freedom of speech claiming the matter involved public interest.

Canturias however, admitted that he did not affirm nor confirm the police report which was the basis of his post involving Osmeña nor did he go to Lapu-lapu City.

In his manifestation filed on July 17, 2018, Canturias informed the court that since the decision is not yet final and executor, he asked that he be released temporarily while he will be filing a motion for reconsideration. — GAN (FREEMAN)