Former Cebu Provincial Capitol consultant Byron Garcia pleaded not guilty to three counts of alleged gender-based sexual harassment under the Safe Spaces Act, maintaining his denial of the accusations filed against him.
Garcia entered his plea during his arraignment on Wednesday in connection with the criminal complaint filed by Capitol Public Health Consultant Dr. Elisse Nicole “Nikki” Catalan.
Following the court proceedings, Garcia reiterated his position and said he was confident in denying the allegations against him.
“Ni plead ko og not guilty… na plead og not guilty proudly,” Garcia said.
He also questioned the complaint filed against him, saying the case stemmed from what he described as a single word he uttered.
“Pangutan-a lang si Elisse Nicole nganong ni kiha siya nako og unsa ba iyang nasuk-an sa akong utterance nga basically usa ra na ka word akong gipanulti,” he said.
Garcia is facing three counts of alleged gender-based sexual harassment in violation of Section 12 of Republic Act No. 11313, or the Safe Spaces Act.
The charges stemmed from Catalan’s complaint, which led to the issuance of a warrant of arrest by the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1 in Mandaue City.
Authorities arrested Garcia a day after the warrant was issued.
Court records showed that bail was set at P108,000 for the three charges, allowing Garcia to remain temporarily free while the case is pending.
Catalan earlier described Garcia’s arrest as a step toward accountability, saying she pursued the complaint not only for herself but also for other women who she said experienced harm from similar actions.
“I filed this case for every woman, living or deceased, who has been hurt, defamed, violated, or wronged by Byron Garcia and others like him,” Catalan said in an earlier statement.
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