HEALTH reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon has filed a cyber libel case against congressman and former Health secretary Janette Garin over allegedly defamatory statements she made online.
In a statement on Thursday, Leachon said the video — which was posted on May 22 — shows Garin accusing Leachon of “killing a patient without seeing the patient” and making other remarks ridiculing his professional competence.
“This case is not about silencing critics. It is about drawing the line between fair comment and malicious falsehood. Integrity in governance and integrity in discourse are inseparable. Truth matters,” Leachon said.
“The allegations in the Facebook video meet the elements of cyber libel: defamatory content, public dissemination, clear identification and malice,” he said.
Leachon claimed that Garin’s statements were meant to “dishonor his reputation as a physician-leader.” He said his decision to press charges is grounded in the principle that “there is no wrong time to do the right thing.”
Previously, Garin had remarked that Leachon always wanted to “land on headlines” and that he had always eyed the position of Health secretary, which Leachon denied.
The Manila Times sought comment from Garin but she has yet to answer.
Leachon also recently filed an Ombudsman case against Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and other Cabinet officials over the transfer of P60 billion in Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds to the National Treasury.
