Four broadcasters face libel charges
FOR UNWARRATNED ATTACKS ON LNU
COMPLAINTS for libel have been filed before the City Prosecutors Office Tuesday against four broadcasters in two separate radio stations in Dagupan for reading and commenting on an unsigned and unverified letter complaint against a university in Dagupan City.
The separate complaints were filed by lawyer Gonzalo T. Duque, president of Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) in his own behalf and of LNU, accusing Edmund Salacup (also known as “Bombo Bogs Toribio” of DZWN Bombo Radyo Dagupan), Leu Paragas, a consultant at the Dagupan City Hall, Orlando Navarro, (also known as “Orly Navarro”); and Jay Mendoza, station manager of radio station DZRD Sonshine Radio in Dagupan for bringing dishonor ” to our university and our engagement as president of the university”.
Also included in the complaints are Bombo Radio Philippines, owner of DZWN Bombo Radio Dagupan; and Sonshine Radio Philippines, owner of DZRD Sonshine Radio.
Duque said Paragas and Navarro, regular commentators for a block-time (airtime paid for) public affairs program in DZRD, read an unsigned letter dated March 7, 2012 by one “Vangie de Guzman” and commented on its unverified content for four straight days.
He said his lawyer, Atty. Manuel Manuel, is still studying whether Dagupan Mayor Benjamin Lim, reportedly the block-time buyer, is also criminally and civilly liable for the alleged libelous statements aired over the two radio programs.
Duque bewailed what he described as the “orchestrated move to cast aspersion on his personal integrity and besmirch the well-guarded reputation of the university.
The unsigned letter which was reportedly distributed to all radio stations and media practitioners in Pangasinan, accused LNU of having produced graduates who paid P150,000 for doctoral degrees and P100,000 for masteral degrees and attributed the scam to Duque.
Duque said he had been the object of a vilification by Navarro since he was separated from Aksyon Radio.
Mendoza, on the other hand, was allegedly warned by Duque on the phone, when alerted by the presence of the letter, not to allow the unsigned letter to be read on the air without first conducting an investigation and verifying the identity of the letter writer and content of the letter as required by the Broadcast Code of the Philippines.
But he allowed Paragas to read it on the air who, together with Navarro, repeatedly accused and insulted both Duque and LNU for “fixing” postgraduate degrees for a fee.
In the complaint, Duque said Paragas allegedly even read a text message purportedly sent to his cell phone by a listener that he will no longer enroll his children at LNU.
Earlier, both Paragas and Navarro when alerted of Duque’s plan to file libel cases, reportedly challenged the latter in their succeeding programs to file the cases for their commentaries.
On the other hand, Salacup read the letter in his regular block time public affairs program on Bombo Radio Dagupan.
No other radio networks and newspapers aired or read the questioned letter.
Duque said he is prepared to pay P1 million in filing fees for the civil action against the four broadcasters and the two radio stations.
“The reputation of our university has been earned for years. You can not just accuse it of doing things without really investigating and verifying the same,” Duque said.
Duque hinted that some faculty members, students and alumni of the university, including officials of the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education regional offices whose reputation were also damaged by the broadcasts and commentaries are also filing cases against the four broadcasters separately.
“I am also filing for exemplary damages if only to remind all of us community journalists to be responsible and accountable,” said Duque who is also president of the Pangasinan Press Club.
If convicted, the accused broadcasters also face jail terms of 6 years imprisonment for each count of libel.
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
