sa kadaghan mabinuangan ug text..c TOMAS pa gyud
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first criminal conviction involving text messages
OWNING up to the crime may have done good for Jonah John Rodriguez’s conscience but it did not do much for his grave threats case.
Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 5 Judge Oscar Andrino yesterday found Rodriguez guilty of sending “nasty and threatening” text messages to Cebu City First Lady Margot Osmeña.
Rodriguez was sentenced to six months in jail and was ordered to pay a P500 fine.
Apart from that, he was also
ordered to pay Margot P200,000 in damages and P25,000 in attorneys’ fees.
Rodriguez, a staunch supporter of former mayor Alvin Garcia, political foe of Margot’s husband, Mayor Tomas Osmeña, originally pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in 2002.
But just last month, he withdrew the plea. He admitted sending the text messages.
With the admission, Rodriguez hoped that Margot will reconsider the civil aspect of the case.
“The accused voluntarily manifested to the court that he understood all the legal consequences of his change of plea and that he is willing to face a verdict of conviction,” Andrino’s three-page decision read.
In an interview with reporters after the decision was read, he said, “I expected the conviction because I admitted it during the hearing. So if that’s what I deserve, so be it.”
He had a message for the Osmeñas, “I just want to say sorry for what I did.”
But sorry is not enough for the mayor.
Osmeña is determined to collect the P200,000 Rodriguez, even if takes the latter the rest of his life to pay in full.
Osmeña said he feels “relieved” the case is over, but he will still not forgive Rodriguez.
“For my part, it’s very hard to forgive because he did this not only to me but to my wife as well. So we will collect the P200,000 even if it takes him the rest of his life. At least he’ll know how it feels to go hungry,” the mayor told reporters yesterday.
He explained they are collecting damages “just to give him a taste of his own medicine.”