The department of justice (doj) on wednesday said criminal complaints for perjury and cyber libel against the 18 former bodyguards of fugitive former lawmaker zaldy co and their lawyer have been filed in four regional trial courts (rtcs) in metro manila. doj spokesperson polo martinez confirmed that all informations were filed on tuesday before the rtcs of the cities of caloocan:he Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said criminal complaints for perjury and cyber libel against the 18 former bodyguards of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co and their lawyer have been filed in four Regional Trial Courts (RTCs) in Metro Manila. DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed that all Informations were filed on Tuesday before the RTCs of the cities of Caloocan, Las Pi±as, Muntinlupa, and San Juan.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Informations were filed in strict adherence to the applicable rules on jurisdiction and venue. Martinez explained that filing all the cases in a single venue would contradict the rules without a legal basis for each offense. He noted that for cyber libel, the venue is determined under Section 2.1 of the Rule on Cybercrime Warrants, while for perjury, the venue generally lies where the allegedly false affidavit was subscribed and sworn.
The cases stem from several complaints involving the execution and dissemination of a joint sworn statement, related press conferences and interviews, social media posts, and other online publications. The 18 so-called 'maleta boys' face 10 separate Informations for six counts of cyber libel under Section 4(c)(4) of Republic Act (RA) 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and four counts of perjury.
Lawyer Levito Baligod is charged as a co-accused with the '18 maleta boys' in certain Informations. A separate Information for one count of cyber libel under Section 4(c)(4) of RA 10175 will also be filed against him. Other complaints covered by the resolutions were dismissed due to a lack of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction.
The findings followed an evaluation of the evidence submitted by the parties during preliminary investigation. The DOJ stated that the approval of the recommendations signifies a determination, for purposes of preliminary investigation, that prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction exists. Baligod, in a message posted on social media, claimed the cases had been spread to complicate their position before they could file a motion for reconsideration.
