By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS CITY, Capiz — The City Prosecutor’s Office recently dismissed charges of estafa through falsification of public and private documents against two former Capiz provincial government employees due to lack of merit.
This was confirmed by Atty. Roy Villa, one of the legal counsels for Fernando Garcia and Pauline Azarcon.
Based on a resolution dated April 15, 2024, issued by Assistant City Prosecutor Richele R. Rivera-Seriban, the charges filed by Josephine P. Degala, OIC-Provincial Social Development Officer, were dismissed due to the prosecution’s failure to prove Garcia and Azarcon’s guilt.
Villa said the accused were not afforded due process. He noted that the prosecution also failed to prove that the two faked the signatures of clients seeking financial assistance from the provincial government.
Additionally, Villa argued that Degala was obligated to halt the release of the financial assistance since she was the final signatory on the evaluation report.
In a radio interview on Wednesday, May 29, Garcia expressed his mixed emotions about the dismissal of the case. He felt his reputation had been significantly tarnished.
“I can now leave my house and talk with my friends without hesitation,” Garcia said. “With my case dismissed, I will be preparing to file counter-charges against those who maligned me.”
It may be recalled that Garcia and Azarcon were accused of faking the signatures of indigent individuals seeking financial assistance at the Provincial Capitol two years ago.
Prior to the filing of the case at the City Prosecutor’s Office, Garcia had filed administrative cases with the Office of the Ombudsman against Degala, some department heads, and provincial board members, alleging false accusations against him.
DailyGuardian attempted to contact Degala for comment, but she was unavailable at press time.
