PUERTO Princesa City Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron on Thursday decried the use and distribution of “fake news” by his political opponents aimed at “sowing confusion, to malign, vilify him in public, and worst destroy his reputation and person” as an elective public official.
Bayron reacted to what he said were “baseless accusations and misinformation” through the sharing of “fake news” by top leaders and supporters of his political foes on social media.
He specifically cited a reported Court of Appeals Resolution No. CA G.P. SP No. 149375, dated October 13, 2017 and supposedly penned by CA Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, as “fake.”
This report, Bayron said, was posted on the Facebook account of a certain Jose Maria “Joey” Mirasol, who the mayor identified as a top political adviser of former city mayor Edward Hagedorn.
Mirasol’s Facebook post on Nov. 17 reads: “The CA Resolution dated 13 Oct 2017 that Bayron claims stays the Ombudsman dismissal order is fake. It does not appear on the CA case status website and cannot be confirmed by Justice Japar Dimaampao. True blue dishonesty.”
Bayron charged that Mirasol’s post was a “complete falsehood” and “maliciously dispensed” to lie to and fool the public.
The supposed CA order was “fully debunked” by the certification issued by lawyer Teresita R. Marigomen, Clerk of Court for the appellate court, and lawyer Arnel D. Macapagal, Chief Reporter of the CA, on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Benjamin B. Chavez
“I am outraged by the public indignation on my person done by Mirasol and his followers, as their acts were outrageous and deliberately done, intended to defraud the public in the city as well as those reached by Facebook everywhere. I can only say that he could pass as ‘one dispenser of fake news,’” Bayron said.
The subject resolution was a key part in Bayron’s legal status to hold his post as city mayor of Palawan’s capital.
Bayron said he asked his lawyers to study the necessary legal actions that could be taken against Mirasol and his allies.