Paras mulls counter charges vs. Villarin

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Jacinto Paras is looking to file charges against Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin for tarnishing his name. (PNA photo)

MANILA — Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Jacinto Paras is looking to file charges against Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin for tarnishing his name.

“I am studying to file a case for damages against him for destroying my good name,” Paras said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The labor official also lambasted the solon for using his position to spread lies against him.

“Villarin is the one who is indecent. Using the plenary to deliver his so-called privilege speech to spread his lies and make malicious accusation against me is cowardice,” Paras said.

“He said he already filed a complaint for theft against me, so why does he not wait for me to receive a copy of his complaint and let me answer it?” he added.

The DOLE undersecretary described the case filed against him as weak, which he said is why the legislator is resorting to dirty tactics.

“I am entitled to due process of law. He is using squid tactics because his complaint is very weak and has no leg to stand. That is why he’s using the privilege speech as his political propaganda ahead of the dismissal of his complaint, which has no basis in law. He cannot get the proper authority to rule in his favor because he is a big liar,” he added.

At the same time, Paras also questioned Villarin’s call to bar him from entering the premises of the House of Representatives.

“Lastly, who is he to call for disallowing me from entering the House? I’ve been a three-termer Congressman and I earned the good image of being decent and hard-working,” he said.

On Monday, Villarin filed a theft complaint before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against the former Negros Oriental solon for allegedly stealing his phone during a House hearing last March.

Paras already denied the allegation, claiming that he could have taken the lawmaker’s phone by mistake during the hearing.