Gabby pleads ‘not guilty’ to bigamy charges

MANILA, Philippines - Former matinee idol Gabby Concepcion on Monday pleaded not guilty to bigamy charges before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) during his arraignment on Monday. Concepcion, who was accompanied by his lawyer Ed Flaminiano, appeared before the sala of Manila RTC Branch 6 Judge Jansen R. Rodriguez around 10 a.m. and entered a "not guilty" plea. The court set the pre-trial on May 8. The actor posted bail P12,000 bail earlier this month but during April 21 hearing, the prosecution filed a manifestation that the bail bond be increased to P24,000. The bigamy case stemmed from the complaint of Mamerto dela Cruz, of E. Rodriguez corner Mercury St., Libis, Quezon City. In an amended information, Assistant City Prosecutor Manuel B. Sta. Cruz Jr., said “that on July 23, 1984, Concepcion, being then legally married to Jennifer Martin, and without such marriage, having been legally dissolved, did then and there willfully unlawfully and feloniously contract a second or subsequent marriage with one Sharon Cuneta." A separate case of falsification of public document against Concepcion is pending with the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court. Judge Rodriguez ordered that the falsification of public document be returned to the Office of the Executive Judge, through Clerk of Court of RTC Manila, for proper disposition, stressing that the court has no jurisdiction to try the case pursuant to Section 32 of Batas Pambansa 129 as amended by Republic Act No. 7691 for expanded jurisdiction to the lower court. Branch clerk of court Florentino Mercado Jr. said the court set the arraignment of Concepcion on April 30, 2008. He did not give further details of the case which was archived since Concepcion left the country in 1995. Concepcion arrived in the country on March 30, 2008 after spending several years in the United States. The following day, he posted P6,000 bail with the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) in connection with his falsification of public documents case. Flaminiano said the “falsification of public document through omission" was slapped against Concepcion because of the supposedly an “ante-date" in the entry of his application for a marriage license with the Manila Civil Registry. - GMANews.TV