Nani’s suit remanded to fiscals

A Manila judge tossed back to the Department of Justice (DOJ) the libel charges filed by former justice secretary Hernando Perez against Bulacan Rep. Wilfrido "Willi" Villarama, who was scheduled for arraignment yesterday.

Judge Felixberto Olalia Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 8 ordered DOJ prosecutors to conduct a review of the P10-million libel case and reset the arraignment for June 25.

The review virtually stopped temporarily the court from issuing a warrant of arrest for Villarama.

Olalia’s branch clerk of court, lawyer Albert Cancino, said Villarama is placed under cognizance by his lawyers, which means that his legal counsels will present him in court whenever the judge says so, pending the outcome of the review.

The libel suit against the Bulacan congressman stemmed from his accusation that Perez was the "Million Dollar Man" in the Arroyo cabinet, who allegedly received a $2-million bribe from extradited Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez, a former crony of ousted President Joseph Estrada.

In her resolution, Manila Assistant City Prosecutor Merlina Manuel recommended Villarama’s indictment saying that all the elements that constitute the crime of libel — defamatory imputation, publication, identifiability of the victim and malice — were sufficiently established in Villarama’s statements against Perez.

Villarama sought the DOJ’s intervention as he alleged that Manuel, who investigated the libel case, failed to address most of the issues in her resolution.

Lawyer Jesus Santos, one of Perez’s legal counsels, however, said that Villarama should allow the court to proceed with the trial of the case. "If he thinks he’s innocent and his conscience is clear, why would he not allow the court to proceed with the trial of the case?" he asked.