Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 17 acquitted lawyer Lorna Kapunan, legal counsel of the parents of slain UST law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III, in an unjust vexation charge filed by UST Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina.
In an order dated Jan. 2, the court said the prosecution failed to prove Kapunan’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The court also absolved Kapunan of “civil liability,” saying Divina’s camp failed to show a preponderance of evidence..
“It is unfortunate that the court saw it that way but we will exhaust all legal remedies to set aside what we believe is an erroneous judgment,” Divina told the Varsitarian in a text message.
In December 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Kapunan for unjust vexation over her “defamatory” statements against Divina during the DOJ investigation into Atio’s hazing death in 2017.
Divina also filed cyberlibel charges against Kapunan, but these were dismissed.
Presiding Judge Karla Funtila-Abugan penned the ruling.
