ERSTWHILE Metro Rail Transit 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III on Friday urged the Sandiganbayan to stop Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas II from hurling various accusations against him in public.
In a very urgent motion for issuance of gag order, Vitangcol appealed to the anti-graft court to prohibit Roxas from publicly talking about his pending graft suit over the questionable MRT line 3 maintenance deal.
He said he wants to ensure his right to a fair trial.
He expressed fear that Roxas would mention again the MRT issue and malign him in the fourth and final presidential debate to be held on April 24.
Earlier, Roxas slammed Vitangcol for his alleged financial interest in tapping the Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corp. to be the Department of Transportation and Communications’ project partner, wherein the uncle of Vitangcol was one of the incorporators.
Vitangcol reacted to a newspaper report of an interview with Roxas, who blamed him over the supposed anomalous MRT maintenance contract.
He said Roxas’ statements had subjected him to “trial by publicity” causing “irreparable damage.”
“A public outcry for a conviction, ignited and fanned by massive publicity in the news media, may prompt even the judges to take action calculated to railroad the accused to a conviction. It is difficult to remain oblivious to the pressures that the news media can bring to bear on them both directly and through shaping of public opinion,” Vitangcol’s motion read.
