Guanzon sues Cardema over Facebook attacks; NYC chair says complaint 'vague, baseless'

Former poll commissioner Rowena Guanzon has filed an administrative complaint against National Youth Commission (NYC) chief Ronald Cardema over his attacks on her on Facebook.

In filing her 19-page complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, Guanzon is seeking P8 million in damages from Cardema for allegedly violating
the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

According to Guanzon, there are six instances where Cardema, using his Facebook account, "unjustly" attacked her. These instances are:

• a video where Cardema said Guanzon should not circumvent the law and that she is feared by Commission on Elections (Comelec) employees;
• Cardema insinuating that Guanzon is hindering proclamation of winning P3PWD party-list nominees and that she is suffering from karma for denying Cardema's bid to seat as representative of Duterte Youth party-list;
• Cardema saying that he is not afraid of New People's Army and therefore, of Guanzon who he said will never be a congresswoman;
• Cardema accusing Guanzon of conniving with other P3PWD party-list nominees so she could seat as a member of the House of Representatives;
• Cardema saying that Guanzon is a lawyer who treats the law like trash and is forcing herself to be a nominee of the P3PWD party-list; and
• Cardema using the Facebook page of Duterte Youth party-list with over 449,000 followers for posting supposedly malicious imputations against Guanzon

Guanzon will be sitting as P3PWD party-list representative in Congress by noon of June 30 after five other nominees asked the poll body to drop them out as nominees, a request granted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). 

"All the actions by the Respondent [Cardema] served no meaningful or legal purpose and had no smidgen of civic or social relevance. Respondent obviously intends to continue his unlawful acts unless I take legal action," Guanzon said in her complaint.

"Respondent's hateful and detestable actuations were calculated and geared toward achieving a singular purpose: to disparage and trample upon my honor and good name, incite hate and disrespect, and cause me annoyance, mental distress and public humiliation," she added.

Guanzon argued that Cardema, a government official with a rank of undersecretary, is mandated by the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees to endeavor to discourage wrong perceptions of their roles as dispensers or peddlers of undue patronage, respect the rights of others and refrain from doing acts contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy, public order, public safety and public interest.

"Here, Respondent is doing the exact opposite: posting texts, photos and videos in Facebook which demeans me as a person and as a lawyer, spreading untruthful statements against me which encourages and incite his friends/followers to ridicule me, hurling unnecessary insulting and humiliating remarks against me in social media which basically tramples underfoot the most basic of social decency required of a human person," Guanzon said.

"Respondent, fueled by his personal grudge against me, insulted and mocked me multiple times. The baseless accusations he hurled against me constantly exposed me to public ridicule and shame and bespeak of malice of the highest degree," she added.

Cardema responds

In response, Cardema said Guanzon's complaint has no merit and that he will file a counter-complaint.

"By filing Ombudsman cases, she has opened a Pandora’s box against herself. She will face more serious cases at the Ombudsman next week," Cardema said in a statement.

He described Guanzon's complaint as "small-time, vague, and baseless."

"She is annoyed that myself, as a government official, is speaking against her using government time," he added.

Cardema then accused Guanzon, who retired from Comelec five months ago, of violating Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and the Anti-Graft law for sitting as a P3PWD party-list representative.

"This is a more serious case of graft, corruption, and abuse of public office," Cardema said. —KBK, GMA News