Fiscals will no longer pursue raps vs Abalos over alleged verbal threats

Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos will no longer face administrative or criminal charges over his alleged verbal threats against prosecutors handling the electoral sabotage case of his father, former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos. This, after the two prosecutors, Orlando Mariano and Mark Estepa, said they were no longer interested in pursuing a case against the mayor who already made an apology. "We see nothing but the sincerity of Mayor Abalos and accept wholeheartedly his proffer of apology," said the prosecutors in a one-page statement. "We are elated that we can now put this matter behind us in the interest of the truth," the two added. The prosecutors also stressed that they have no personal grudge against the younger Abalos, despite being reportedly threatened by the mayor during his father's poll fraud hearing in Pasay City last June 8. During the incident, the younger Abalos reportedly hurled expletives at Mariano and Estepa, and threatened to kill them as he was passing by the two prosecutors. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said they plan to file administrative charges of gross misconduct and grave abuse of authority, and a criminal charge of grave threat. De Lima slammed Benhur for his actions, saying it was unbecoming of a mayor to hurl expletives and other verbal threats against other people. "The people were just doing their job. Tapos ganyan ang nangyari? Bakit gaganunin? Hindi dapat, no one can ever threaten or intimidate our prosecutors," she said. The Mandaluyong mayor had denied the prosecutors' claims and was even quoted as saying: "Sobra-sobrang pang-aabuso na ito." The elder Abalos is facing trial in connection with the supposed poll fraud in North Cotabato during the 2004 national elections. — LBG, GMA News