Byron’s complaint vs Pam junked

Local

THE complaint filed against Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro for supposedly wearing a police uniform has been junked.

The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor dismissed the case filed by Byron Garcia, brother of former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia, after finding insufficient evidence to proceed to court.

The resolution, signed by Senior Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Marlon Atillo, is dated Dec.19, 2025, and was released to the media on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

“After an evaluation of the record, the Undersigned Investigating Prosecutor does not find the facts and circumstances as sufficient to support a prima facie evidence with a reasonable certainty of conviction to charge the respondent in court,” the resolution read.

Garcia filed the complaint on Nov. 21, 2025, alleging that a photograph posted on Baricuatro’s Facebook account showed her wearing a Philippine National Police (PNP) SWAT uniform.

He claimed the image constituted public and improper use of a law enforcement uniform under Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code, which carries a penalty of arresto mayor.

The complaint described the image as bearing PNP SWAT patches and badges, including left and right arm patches, a bold “SWAT” marking on the chest, and a Cebu Police Provincial emblem on the upper left portion of the uniform.

Garcia’s concern stemmed from the potential misuse of symbols associated with public authority, which the law seeks to protect.

Prosecutors, however, concluded that the complaint failed to firmly establish the elements of the crime.

They found the photo “most likely a computer-generated image of the respondent, and therefore not constitutive of a ‘public and improper’ use of uniform or insignia.”

They also noted that the uniform “does not appear to be a uniform of a specialized unit of the police force, thus negating any intent to falsify or deceive the public.”

Baricuatro clarified that the image was a birthday gift from the Cebu Provincial Police Office and was created using artificial intelligence.

“The image is AI-generated and not a real photograph of me in any police uniform. The uniform shown is not even an authentic PH SWAT uniform,” she posted on social media.

Garcia said he remains concerned about the potential misuse of law enforcement symbols, even if the image was artificial.

“I am still observing and I’ll be watching her. Anything nga sayop, ako siya file’an og kaso,” he said.

The dismissed complaint is one of four complaints Garcia has filed against Baricuatro. Other cases involve alleged misrepresentation of sea ambulances, a P2.6 million renovation of the Cebu Capitol without proper clearance, and the delayed submission of the 2026 provincial budget.(MyTVCebu)