Kinumpirma ni Rep. Claudine Bautista-Lim nitong Biyernes lang, na noong Agosto, ng taong ito pa raw niya inihain ang kasong P1-billion cyber libel laban sa aktor na si Enchong Dee.
“As we have the utmost respect for our legal system, we filed the case in August without fanfare. We are not aware of how the media learned about the case and why it was published in the news recently,” Rep. Claudine Bautista-Lim, of the Drivers United for Mass Progress and Equal Rights - Philippines Taxi Drivers Association (DUMPER-PTDA) party-list," pahayag ni Rep. Claudine.
“I would like to clarify that any legal action coming from us was instituted back in August of this year, upon my husband’s insistence and in response to the malicious allegations made against me at that time,” dagdag pa niya.
Ito ay matapos magbitiw ang aktor ng mga mapanirang salita tungkol umano sa magarbong kasal ni Claudine sa Balesin Island Club Resort sa Polillo, Quezon.
Si Claudine ay ikinasal sa negosyanteng si Jose French “Tracker” Lim via civil wedding noong February 20, 2021 at sa Balesin noong July 28, 2021.
Sa isang controversial tweet umano ng aktor, binabatikos niya ang napaka magarbong wedding ni Rep. Claudine at sinabi pa niya, ito ang pera na galing sa mga "commuters at drivers" na ginamit sa event.
Nabanggit din ng aktor na isa si Bautista-Lim sa mga bumoto para ipasara ang ABS-CBN network na kung saan doon nagtatrabaho ang aktor.
Kalaunan ay humingi naman ng tawad ang aktor sa sinabi niya kay Bautista-Lim. Inamin niyang "reckless" lang daw siya sa time na iyon.
Ngunit sa reklamong inihain ni Claudine, “Enchong went as far as saying that I used public coffers to fund my wedding by categorically saying that ‘The money for commuters and drivers went to her wedding’, to the detriment and injury to my honor and name…”
“The posts were meant nothing more than their malicious intentions of maligning my person, depicting me as a corrupt public official,” dagdag pa niya.
Humihingi si Claudine ng moral damages na nagkakahalagang ₱500,000,000 kasama ang exemplary damages na nagkakahalaga rin ng ₱500,000,000.
Bagama’t inamin niya nakarating sa kanya ang public apology ni Enchong tungkol sa isyu noon, ngunit sinabi niyang hindi umano ito sapat.
“He was not sorry to me and for the damage that he has done. He just wants to deflect, albeit unsuccessfully, this criminal charge against him…”
“This does not do any good for him. It only bolstered and magnified his admission of guilt beyond reasonable doubt for his unprovoked and baseless libelous remarks," pahayag ni Lim.
Isinalaysay ni Claudine na August 16, 2021 nang magulantang siya sa sunod-sunod na text messages at private messages mula sa mga kapamilya, kaanak, at kaibigan.
“He and his lawyers chose to pursue the case, not just because he and his family—who value their privacy and are focused on their businesses-- were unfairly dragged into the whole issue, but also, or more so because he saw the heavy toll that the attacks took on my health, particularly on my sensitive pregnancy,” she added.
Dagdag pa ni Bautista-Lim, ang mga paratang na ito laban sa kanya ay nagbigay umano ng "anxiety, anguish at humiliation" na nakakaapekto umano sa reputasyon ng kanilang pamilya.
Si Lim ay kasalukuyang buntis ngayon ng walong buwan.
Nangako naman si Lim na ipagpapatuloy pa rin niya ang kanyang serbisyo sa kanyang mga nasasakupan.
“For me, in this time of the pandemic, it is much better to focus on things that would help our fellow Filipinos,” pahiwatig ni Lim.
