The Bacolod Regional Trial Court recently issued a warrant of arrest against Augusto Syjuco, secretary general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, for a libel case filed against him by Bacolod lawyer Alex Espino.

The arrest warrant dated Feb. 15, 2008 issued by Judge Franklin Demonteverde of Branch 49 has set the bail for the release of the accused at P10,000.

Syjuco’s legal counsel Cornelio Panes told the DAILY STAR they have already filed an appeal with the Department of Justice. They also asked the court to recall the warrant pending the resolution of their appeal, he said.

Espino filed the case against Syjuco last year based on alleged defamatory items published in the Panay News and Sun.Star Bacolod on April 2007.

Espino is Syjuco’s former political campaign manager.

In his affidavit, Syjuco reasoned that Espino failed to show proof that he caused the publication of the defamatory news story.

 Syjuco also cited that the crime imputed to Espino in the published article is not a mere imputation but a statement of fact as attested by the criminal complaint for extortion and blackmail he filed against the complainant  in the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

He said the news story was published at the height of the election campaign where emotions and passions are high and thus statements and utterances made do not constitute libel based on several cases law laid down by the Supreme Court.

The alleged defamatory publication quoted Syjuco as saying “Espino threatened to campaign against his wife (Iloilo 2nd District Rep. Judy Syjuco) unless he provides a named large sum of money to fund the political campaign of his son, Al Victor Espino, now a Bacolod councilor.*CGS

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