Talisay City Prosecutor Lorenzo Amodia dismissed the libel charges filed by a businesswoman against a media man and his radio program guest for lack of probable cause.

Exonerated from libel charges were Jeffrey Gelangre of DYAF Radyo Veritas and his interviewee, Rodolfo Divinagracia, a copy of the resolution furnished the DAILY STAR by Divinagracia yesterday showed.

Complainant Juana Concepcion Montilla, wife of Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla, claimed that on March 2, she heard Gelangre’s alleged libelous interview of Divinagracia against her on his radio program.

Montilla said the two made malicious imputation against her of a crime that portrayed her as a criminal, a thief of the people’s money, criminally guilty of corruption and of corrupting local public officials.

She added that the statement is clearly false and without factual basis and in support of her complaint, she attached copies of the taped interview of Gelangre and Divinagracia and the transcript of the interview.

Divinagracia, in his defense, said he was sought by Gelangre because he filed criminal and administrative charges against government officials of Sipalay City and their cohorts before the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman.

He stressed that there was no malice or criminal intent to besmirch, malign or to cause dishonor to the complainant because he only stated the truth during the interview.

Gellangre, meanwhile, said that during the interview Divinagracia explained that he included Mrs. Montilla in the plunder case he filed because she had, on various occasions, entered into business transactions with the office of the city mayor of Sipalay.

Gelangre added that it involves taxpayers money and is a matter of public interest which the public has a right to know.*APN

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