Citystate Savings Bank files libel complaint vs. Decorp, PUNCH
THE City State Savings Bank has filed a complaint for libel against an executive of the Dagupan Electric Corporation (Decorp) and The PUNCH’s editor-publisher and seven editorial staff members before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Pasig City, Metro Manila.
The complaint was filed by lawyer Roger Diaz with office address at City State Centre in Pasig City against Dominador Liwag Jr., retail service manager of Decorp; and staffers of The PUNCH, namely Ermin Garcia Jr., editor-publisher; Marifi Jara, Jun Velasco, Jesus Garcia Jr., Johanne Macob, Julie Ann Arrogante, Jocelyn de la Cruz and Virgilio Biagtan.
The complaint stemmed from the headline story in the August 25-31, 2013 issue of The PUNCH with the subhead “Meter used owned by city” and headline: “Citystate bank’s electric bills charged to city hall.”
The PUNCH story was an account of what transpired between Mayor Belen Fernandez and Liwag during their telephone conversation on the former’s inquiry about the billing for the electric meter being used by the bank’s branch in Dagupan City.
The complaint stated that the article and even the caricature/cartoon thereon “maliciously impute to City Bank expressly the utterly false and glaringly defamatory allegations that its electric bills are charged to and paid by Dagupan City Hall.. . .”
The complaint claims Liwag’s statements “are lies published without any regard to Citystate or of the facts of the payments which he as, retail service manager of DECORP knows or ought to know. That DECORP itself accepted and acknowledged the aforesaid payments negates his assertion that the electric consumption of Citystate is included in the billings paid by the Dagupan City Government.”
In its complaint, City Bank acknowledged that it “leases from AMB ALC Holdings and Management Corporation an office space at the ground floor of MC Adore International Palace. That portion was formerly used by the City Government of Dagupan as a Community Police Station and was vacated only on 25 February 2013. It has an existing DECORP subscription under meter number 10249955.”
The complain also stated that while the DECORP consumer account remained in its original holder the Dagupan City government, the bank paid and has been consistently paying its electric bills charged by Decorp for its consumption, citing supposed official receipt numbers issued by the electric company.
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