Quezon City 5th District Representative Patrick Michael Vargas welcomed the dismissal of a ₱1-billion civil lawsuit filed against him over allegedly anomalous flood control projects, stating the court’s decision clears his name of baseless allegations.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 81 dismissed the complaint due to a lack of jurisdiction.
Presiding Judge Madonna Echiverri noted that the plaintiffs, represented by former Quezon City Councilor Antonio Enrile Inton Jr. on behalf of the United People’s Against Corruption (UPAC), failed to pay the required filing fees.
“We welcome this decision of the court. Sa simula pa lang, tiwala na ang inyong lingkod na hindi uusad ang kasong ito dahil gawa-gawa lamang ang mga akusasyon. Ginagamit lang nila ang korte upang siraan ang aking pangalan,” Vargas said.
“As I said before, this was a nuisance complaint filed by a disgraced city official. Malinaw na ang layunin lang nito ay siraan ako gamit ang gawa-gawang mga paratang,” he added. “We have always been transparent. Sadyang may mga grupo lamang na gustong baliktarin ang naratibo.”
In the court’s two-page order, the judge explicitly cited the procedural failure as the reason for throwing out the case.
“This court finds that this court has not acquired jurisdiction over the case for failure of the plaintiffs to pay the filing fee as computed by the Office of the Clerk of Court,” the order read.
Vargas emphasized that the dismissal aligns with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte’s previous clarification that no “ghost” flood control projects exist in his district.
He criticized the lawsuit as a publicity stunt designed to harm his reputation, calling it a waste of judicial resources.
“These instances are a grave misuse of our legal system’s time and resources. Ang panahon ng hukuman ay dapat na ilaan sa pagbibigay ng katarungan sa mga tunay na nangangailangan nito,” Vargas said.
The lawmaker expressed concern that certain religious sectors might be manipulated for political gain and lamented the sudden shift toward mudslinging in his district, which he linked to individuals associated with syndicates seeking public office.
“Nag-aalala po ako para sa mga kasama natin mula sa religious sector na baka ginagamit na po sila para sa politika at inililihis sa katotohanan. I hope that they will remain discerning,” he said.
“Tahimik at malinis po tayo sa ating distrito. Pero napansin po natin na simula nang may ibang naghangad maluklok sa puwesto, na diumano’y konektado sa mga sindikato, naging marumi na po ang labanan dito,” he added.
Following the ruling, Vargas revealed that his legal team is exploring potential countermeasures against the parties responsible for spreading defamatory claims against him.