Contempt rap filed vs. 13 media men
A PETITION has been filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 40 to declare 13 local media practitioners in contempt of court in connection with their induction last month before Governor Amado Espino Jr. purportedly as elected officers of the Pangasinan Press Club Inc. (PPCI) despite a status quo ante order issued by RTC Judge Mervin Jovito Samadan.
The petition which prayed that respondents be penalized in accordance with the rules of court was filed by PPCI represented by its president Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque, a PUNCH columnist and also president of Lyceum-Northwestern University, through PPCI counsel Napoleon Arenas on October 8.
Named respondents are Orlando Navarro, Raul Tamayo, Manny Celzo, Leu Paragas, Liway Manantan Yparaguirre, Lorna Abalos, Virgilio Maganes, Ruel Camba, Edmund Abubo, R.J. Jimenez, Minerva Caburnay, Dino Ubando and Juan Dayang.
The petition relates to Civil Case No. 13-0003 for injunction with prayer for a Writ of Preliminary Injunction and or Temporary Restraining Order and Damages filed by PPCI against Navarro and company.
The four-page petition, with a two-page photocopy of pictures taken during the supposed induction attached to it, restates the Court’s earlier status quo ante order agreed to mutually by both parties, to resist any act in order to preserve their status quo until final determination by the Court of their rights.
However, notwithstanding the efficacy of the Court’s order, and in disregard of its order from committing further acts inimical to the rights and interests of the plaintiff, defendants had themselves sworn in by the governor at the Provincial Capitol in Lingayen.
The petition further reads that what made the acts of defendants utterly contemptuous and outrightly illegal was the usage of the name of the plaintiff “Pangasinan Press Club, Inc.” during their induction, and, worse, even appointing Duque as ex-officio member without his consent.
During that induction, Duque was on a vacation in the United States.
According to the petition, the governor would not have acceded to their request for induction had they not used the name of Duque as ex-officio member of the board.
The petitioner charged that the defendants had clearly resorted to deception and lies to consummate their contemptuous and illegal acts.
Apart from these, it said that the defendants have solicited monies from sponsors and the public by using the name “Pangasinan Press Club Inc.” despite the prohibition from the court.
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