Court dismisses P1-B civil case vs QC Rep. Vargas

MANILA, Philippines — A local court dismissed the P1-billion civil suit filed against Quezon City Rep. Patrick Michael Vargas over his alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects, citing lack of jurisdiction over the complaint alleging “abuse of rights and unjust enrichment.”

Vargas on Monday called the ruling a “major victory” against what he described as a “coordinated smear campaign,” saying the charges filed against him were fabricated and unfounded and were merely intended to damage his reputation.

Regional Trial Court Branch 81 Presiding Judge Madonna Echiverri dismissed the suit filed last December by former local councilor Antonio Enrile Inton Jr. on behalf of the group United People’s Against Corruption (UPAC), ruling that the court lacked jurisdiction after the complainants failed to pay the docket fee.

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The case also named former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, who previously headed the House committee on appropriations.

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“We welcome this decision of the court,” Vargas said in mixed English and Filipino. “From the start, I was confident the case would not prosper because the accusations were fabricated.”

“This was a nuisance complaint filed by a disgraced city official. It is clear that the sole intent was to smear me with baseless allegations,” he added.

READ: Vargas says victory in QC a win vs ‘fake news campaign’

In a statement, UPAC said Vargas’ claim that the civil case was dismissed was “misleading,” noting that it was not thrown out due to a lack of evidence against him and the other defendants but because the group failed to pay what it described as an “exorbitant” filing fee.

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The group was charged P20 million in docket fees, it said, adding that it will elevate the case to the Court of Appeals.

“By dismissing the case over unpaid filing fees rather than addressing the core merits, the court has penalized the poor for standing up against corruption,” it said. “Congressman Vargas’ assertion that he has been vindicated is a deliberate distortion of the truth.”

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Vargas said he is consulting his legal team to determine his next steps following the case’s dismissal, adding that he intends to pursue legal action against those who continue to spread false information about him.

“These instances are a grave misuse of our legal system’s time and resources,” he said. “The court’s time should be devoted to delivering justice to those who truly need it.” /mcm

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