Lim: No charges filed against me

Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim yesterday said two flight attendants who accused him of pulling his pants down and showing his genitals aboard a Zest Air flight last month have not filed any charges against him, contrary to media reports.

Instead, it was the city mayor who lodged a complaint for grave slander against the two lady attendants, the flight’s pilot and another in-flight personnel last week at the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office.

In a recent statement, Lim said, I “categorically deny the allegation that I pulled down my pants and exposed my genitals to the flight attendants. I am in fact scandalized by this pathetic fiction of imagination on the part of the flight attendants that I am taking legal action against them.”

The mayor added he is not aware that flight attendants Camille Rose Diaz and Janine de Castro filed grave scandal and sexual harassment charges against him before the city prosecutor’s office of Pasay the day after the incident.

“I would have welcomed the filing of any case to give me the opportunity to refute the allegations but no such case has been filed to the best of my knowledge,” the mayor said.

“What I know is that there has been an on-going shame campaign against me using Facebook and Youtube by my sworn enemies including media practitioners working in the employ of my political rivals,” Lim added.

MAYOR’S CHARGE

Mayor Lim filed last week grave slander raps against the two flight attendants (Diaz and de Castro), the pilot Capt. Ronaldo Ramos and one unnamed airline personnel who accused him of stripping and exposing himself inside a Zest Air plane just after it touched down at the old domestic airport last December 16.

The case against the four docketed as NPS no. XV-13-INV-11L-01851 which was received at the Office of the City Prosecutor in Pasay City, is the mayor’s response to the continued allegations against him which has become a popular trending topic in social media and local radio stations.

It was Diaz who alleged that the mayor stripped before the crew and passengers after she refused his request to use the lavatory while the plane was stationary after landing at the airport while the fasten-your-seatbelts lights were still on.

De Castro corroborated Diaz’ story at the police detachment where Lim was taken immediately upon disembarking from the plane by three uniformed policemen who were waiting for him due to a call for police assistance from the plane captained by Ramos.

The unidentified male accompanied the two flight attendants when they reported the alleged incident to the airport police.

In his affidavit, Lim said he made repeated requests to Diaz for the use of the lavatory to answer the call of nature. Diaz, however, refused to allow him even after he informed her that he is suffering from diabetes.

Diaz also refused to entertain Lim’s request that she relay his predicament to the pilot saying that if she were the pilot, the answer would still be the same and that she might even be scolded.

After Lim threatened to pee in his seat because he could no longer contain himself, Diaz was finally forced to relay his request to Ramos who granted the mayor’s request.

The mayor thought that was the end to it but unknown to him, policemen were waiting to investigate him at the airport after a call for assistance was relayed to them.

Lim said he wanted to talk to the pilot because he wanted to clear things before they get out of hand but Ramos refused to face him and instead relinquished his authority and command of the aircraft and without giving him the opportunity to give his side regarding Diaz’ claims.

The mayor added that he overheard Diaz and her unidentified male companion say “ipa-media natin (we will have this reported in the media) at the police outpost.

“It was at this time that the two flight attendants, Camille Rose Diaz and Janine de Castro accompanied by the unidentified male wearing a pilot’s uniform formalized their malicious and slanderous allegations that I unzipped my pants, removed my briefs and showed my private parts to the crew and passengers during the said flight,” the mayor said.

Lim said it was a malicious allegation from a fertile mind and started to cause him embarrassment even when they were still inside the police headquarters considering that while he was explaining his side, he already noticed the presence of some media persons.

“I then told the police who was investigating me that I am filing a case against the flight attendants, crew and John Doe and those who caused me this kind of humiliation,” he added.

Lim said such “irresponsible, vicious and incredible accusations” relative to the said incident has caused so much humiliation, embarrassment and damage to his person and honor and also to his family who were greatly disturbed and greatly affected by such malicious and ill-motivated accusations against him.

In the evening of the same day, Paulo Bediones of TV5 Aksyon Balita reported the incident which focused mainly on the allegation of the flight attendant and giving only a few seconds for his explanation which was quoted from the text he sent to a TV5 reporter.

The news was broadcast nationwide which prompted some of Lim’s relatives and friends to call him and ask him about the news which kept him awake that night.

Lim’s claims were corroborated by a female witness who sat behind Lim during the flight from Tagbilaran to Manila.

In her affidavit, the witness confirmed the exchange between Lim and Diaz until the point when she called the pilot and Lim was allowed to use the lavatory.

She said she did not notice any expression of shock or alarm on the face of the flight attendant.

“I observed the flight attendant grumbling while (Lim) was inside the lavatory and I then saw her talking to someone using the phone inside the plane cabin but I did not see her crying or in a state of embarrassment,” she added.

Militant women groups in Manila who are closely watching the case could blow the case more widely open and make known to more publics once they take the cause of the beleaguered stewardesses who are now apparently holding the proverbial bag–at least legally.

This most recent legal u-turn, however, is not expected to put the celebrated case to rest in the social network stations.