TAGBILARAN City Deputy Mayor Mariano Uy the other day filed with the Office of the City Prosecutor libel and grave slander charges against City Councilor Edgar Lo Kapirig. Citing his social standing evidenced by his various positions in corporate entities, civic organizations and the government, Uy sought damages of not less than P10 million but emphasized that he did not file the cases for monetary gains. He said he will donate the amount to the Botika sa Katawhan.

The cases stemmed from the questions and comments that Kapirig addressed to Dr. Alodiza Sepe, an accredited physician of the botika and Ma. Cecilia Fernan, encoder also at the botika and niece of Uy's wife Amparo also known by her nickname Pie. In his complaint-affidavit, Uy said the words uttered by Kapirig were malicious, baseless and highly defamatory that cast doubt on his integrity as the founder and administrator of the botika, thus the complaint for grave slander. Uy's complaint is supported among others with an affidavit by Fernan.

She said she and Sepe were separately waiting for a ride going home on November 16, 2007 . When Kapirig came by in his vehicle with the front plate personalized with the marking “councilor”, Sepe and a colleague, Grace Apat boarded it. The vehicle slowed down in front of Fernan and she readily accepted Sepe's offer of a lift. Sepe was in the front seat. Apat disembarked near Camp Dagohoy along J.A. Clarin Street after which Kapirig threw a barrage of questions against her, like if audits were conducted on the botika at all and if she was aware of donations given to the botika. She answered both questions in the affirmative. Then Kapirig asked if they at all knew about donations to the botika coming from abroad and if audits were ever conducted on such.

Sepe warned Kapirig, saying Fernan is a niece of Ma'am Pie, but the councilor continued with his tirade. He said he did not believe that Uy did not make money out of the donations. When she begged to disagree, defending Uy who even spent personal money on the botika and his various projects for it like giving bundles of joy, Kapirig allegedly replied “in a loud, malicious and arrogant manner.” He allegedly said, “I won't believe that. If we made money in the past soliciting for T-shirts worth only P100 each, how much more could Mario have gotten from the dollars he received from America ?”

Fernan's affidavit is supported by a corroborating joint affidavit executed by Jedo Lopena and Constantino Garcia, both casual employees of the city government who heard Sepe admit that she heard Kapirig say that he won't believe that Uy is not making money from the donations for the botika. Both heard Sepe narrate that she had warned Kapirig but to no avail. On November 20, both Lopena and Garcia accompanied a certain Arlene Karaan to Kapirig's residence. They claimed that they both heard the councilor admit to Karaan that he uttered allegedly defamatory and malicious remarks against Uy – the brains behind the success of the botika.

Meanwhile, Uy said during their barangay confrontation aired over radio stations and heard throughout Bohol and neighboring provinces, Kapirig also uttered statements that tarnished the complainant's reputation, hence the charge for libel. He said among others, Kapirig said he has bribed witnesses in the past, that he is keeping another woman and that he paid his supporters who were then carrying placards outside the barangay hall, hence the Uy said he will submit a tape-recorded copy of the broadcast in due time. Kapirig is yet to submit his counter-affidavit.