Quiboloy counsel says Cendaña went beyond 'permitted commentary'

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The counsel of detained preacher Apollo Quiboloy thumbed down Akbayan party-list Representative Percival "Perci" Cendaña free speech defense against the libel and cyber libel complaint that the religious leader filed against the lawmaker.

Quiboloy, through his legal counsel Ferdinand Topacio, filed the complaint against Cendaña, Mamamayang Liberal party-list Representative Leila de Lima, and Senator Risa Hontiveros last September.

"The statements of Mr. Cendaña went beyond the bounds of permitted commentary, and clearly crossed the line into criminal defamation," Topacio said.

"We will prove malice in view of a long history of ill-will against Pastor Quiboloy, and a long-running intention to malign his good name," he added.

Topacio accused Cendaña of singling out Quiboloy for a selfish political agenda.

On Friday, Cendaña filed his counter-affidavit regarding the libel and cyber libel complaint that Quiboloy's camp filed against him.

The complaint stemmed from a radio interview, wherein Cendaña supposedly issued statements such as:

"Nakita naman natin kung papaano isa-isa 'yung mga witnesses tinatakot at hinaharass nila para bumaligtad, 'no? At kahit 'yung mga biktima, tinakot at hinarass nila para hindi ituloy ang laban."

(We have seen how witnesses were threatened and harassed to change their statements. Even the victims were threatened and harassed to discourage them from pursuing their cases.)

The lawmaker issued the comments in relation to the various charges that the pastor was facing, including qualified human trafficking, child abuse, and sex trafficking in both the United States and the Philippines.

Washington has formally sought to extradite Quiboloy from the Philippines to face justice in the US.

In his affidavit, Cendaña cited free speech enshrined in Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution.

"The complainant has not established the elements necessary to bring my statements outside the protection afforded to good faith public commentary under the Constitution and applicable jurisprudence," Cendaña said. — VDV, GMA News