Manila, Philippines – Nalusutan ni Bacolod City Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez ang reklamong isinampa ng dati nitong asawa na si Dominic “Nikki” A. Lopez kaugnay sa diumano’y paglabag ng mambabatas sa isinasaad ng Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004.
Sa resolusyong inilabas ng Makati Prosecutor’s Office na may petsang June 23, 2025, sinasabing nadismiss ang reklamong paglabag sa Section 5(e)(2) and (1) ng RA 9262 o VAWC laban sa mambabatas dahil sa kawalan ng sapat na ebidensya.
“On a final note, while this office commiserates with whatever complainant has gone through, the office has to take consideration the lack of evidence to support her case of violation of RA 9262. Under the provision of D.C. No. 15, the evidence required exacts more than probable cause i.e. prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction of the accused when the case is tried in court,” ayon sa resolusyon.
Natukoy din ng mga prosecutor na karamihan sa inihaing ebidensya ng dating asawa ni Benitez ay pawang “hearsay” lamang at nakabase sa mga naglabasang “newspapers and online materials.”
“Wherefore, it is respectfully recommended that the complaint for RA No. 9262 otherwise known as Violation Against Women and Their Children against respondent Alfredo ‘Albee’ Bantug Benitez be dismissed for insufficiency of evidence,” banggit pa sa resolusyon na nilagdaan ni Assistant City Prosecutor Mikhail Maverick P. Tumacder at pinagtibay naman ni Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Melvin A. Matti, na siya ring tumatayong acting city prosecutor.
Ikinatuwa naman ito ni Benitez sa pagsasabing, “This dismissal is a manifestation that justice in this country is alive and the people can seek refuge at any given time and circumstance.”
Sa ngayon ay humihingi ang kongresista sa media at publiko na nawa’y mabigyan siya at ang kaniyang pamilya ng privacy at tuluyan nang maisara ang kabanatang ito.
“I welcome the decision of the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office dismissing, for lack of merit, the complaint filed against me under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) Act. After a thorough legal review, the prosecutor found no basis to charge me with economic abuse or psychological violence. The allegations were unsupported by evidence and did not meet the legal standards for criminal prosecution,” ayon kay Benitez sa kaniyang ipinadalang pahayag sa media.
Banggit pa nito na sa kabuuan aniya ng proseso ng reklamo laban sa kaniya ay minabuti niyang manahimik bilang respeto sa kaniyang pamilya at bilang pagtanaw ng pagtitiwala sa legal system sa bansa.
“This resolution confirms what I have maintained from the beginning—that the accusations were baseless and malicious. I ask that this matter now be laid to rest, and that innocent individuals, especially my children, be given the privacy to move forward away from this controversy.” Meliza Maluntag
