JESUS Is Lord (JIL) Evangelist Eduardo ‘Brother Eddie’ Villanueva on Thursday said the estafa case filed against him is baseless.
In a statement, Villanueva through lawyer Lorna Kapunan said that “every reasonable person can only conclude that the estafa case was filed against Bro. Eddie by the previous administration for being in the opposition and for his life-long advocacy for good governance.”
He vowed to file a motion for reconsideration to seek for a reversal of the CA’s recent ruling upholding the resolution of the Department of Justice recommending the filing of criminal case against him during the previous administration.
Kapunan said “her client is innocent of the allegation and, in fact, it is the ZOE Broadcasting Network, where Bro.
Eddie sits as its president and chairman, that is seeking for the collection of more than 122 million of liabilities of Benito Araneta of EnterNet Corporation after using Channel 11, 24/7 for more than a year.”
Zoe entered into a contract with Araneta, a cousin and is very close to former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, of EnterNet Corp in July 2001 to improve the station to better cater to the growing Christian TV media consumers.
“The candor, honesty and good faith that Bro. Eddie brought with him in the contract was returned with un-Christian deception and greed. The provisions in the contract were never implemented and worse, for more than a year, the management and income of the station were all pocketed by Enternet owner,” the statement said.
“Despite legal demands by Zoe for Araneta to honor the contract, he refused to do so.”
Zoe did not pursue further negotiations on the continuation of the contract, as it had ended in March 2002, but EnterNet continued to air its programs until July 2002 to the great prejudice of Zoe and because of EnterNet’s continued breach and non-compliance with the terms of the contract.
“To date, Zoe is still waiting for the collection of more than P122M of liabilities of Araneta after using Channel 11 24/7 for more than a year by the same complainant of this case,” the statement pointed out.
To harass Villanueva, EnterNet filed a baseless estafa case in response to Zoe’s legally-grounded non-engagement with Araneta.
“It had no other purpose than to destroy Bro. Eddie’s good name and reputation and make him cooperate with the previous administration,” the statement said.
“In the said case, Bro. Eddie was falsely and maliciously accused of entering a contract with Araneta alleging that Zoe has an existing contract with another corporation, VTV Corp. However, the truth is that at the time when Zoe entered into a contract with Araneta and EnterNet, Zoe’s contract with VTV Corp has long been terminated. Also, when Zoe entered the contract with Araneta, Araneta was duly and sufficiently informed of all the station’s history, including the terminated contract with VTV Corp.”
“With the above said truth, what then could be the basis of estafa against Bro. Eddie? The basis lies not on the law and jurisprudence. It lies on Araneta’s very strong connections and ties with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and the previous administration– the powers-that-be at that time when the baseless criminal case was filed.”
“Why the handling fiscal in Mandaluyong found merit and probable cause in the baseless estafa case filed against Bro. Eddie, only Araneta and the First Gentleman know?” it asked.
According to the statement, Villanueva “still believes in our justice system and this case will surely test our new justice system under the ‘tuwid na daan’ of the Aquino administration.”
“This is not only his fight but every Filipino’s fight to protect each person’s good name and reputation against
government leaders who uses influence and government machinery to harass political opponents.”
The CA ruling, penned by Associate Justice Mariflor Punzalan Castillo, affirmed the DOJ’s findings of probable cause on the estafa case filed against Villanueva saying that it does not anymore intervene in the conduct of a preliminary investigation.
In its decision, the 17th Division of the appeals court said Villanueva failed to prove that the DOJ has committed grave abuse of discretion when it upheld the findings by the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office filed on Feb. 17, 2005. (mtimes)
PINOY SNIPER 