CCAIB files raps vs two tabloids

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board (CCAIB) filed a complaint for obscene publication against officials of two local tabloids before the City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday.

In its affidavit, CCAIB said there are “obscene, indecent, languages and words which are sexually suggestive” in Banat News’ “Wildflower” and in Superbalita’s “From Junquera with Love”.

Named respondents for Banat News are its publisher, Juanito Jabat, President Miguel Belmonte and writer Cindy Jones. Superbalita’s editor-in-chief, Michelle So, publisher Julius Neri, Jr. and writer Fred Monternel are also named respondents.

The complainants are Lucelle Mercado, Marie Velle Abella, Juliet Balboa, Cipriano Balili, Dominic Diño, Ma. Socorro Alfafara, Tessa Paradiang-Cang, Jess Anthony Dela Cruz and Joan Arnoco of CCAIB.

“We all agreed and believed that the publications are indecent, obscene and served no other purpose but to satisfy the market for lust and pornography,” the complainants stated.

CCAIB, who is monitoring publications within the city, said this must be stopped “at all cost” considering the accessibility and the availability of the publications to the public, including minors.

The agency said they informed Banat News and Superbalita about their obscene publications in a letter in October last year, but the two publications continued to publish such articles.

The editors of both publications were invited to a conference to discuss the matter last June 1.

“It was disclosed during the conference that the articles were continuously published because it raised the sales of newspaper and it catered to the lustful interest of certain sectors of society,” CCAIB said.

During the conference, So and Wenceslao Celendron, Banat News editor who represented Jabat, agreed that the obscene or sexually suggestive languages will be minimized or eliminated.

However, the complainants were able to read and concluded that Banat News’ “Handumanan sa Pista”, a series under Wildflower, dated June 9 and 10, were still obscene. So were From Junquera with Love’s “Mubo” and “Kabit” dated June 7 and 8.

CCAIB said the publications violate the provision of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Presidential Decree 969 on immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and City Ordinance No. 1408 as amended.

Celendron, when sought for comment, said they still have to inform their legal counsel before he issues a statement on the case. So also refused to comment until she gets a copy of the complaint.

 The chairman of CCAIB, Lucelle Mercado, hopes the complaint will stop the publication of the obscene articles.

She said they already called the attention of two local newspapers and even held a conference regarding the issue of Junquera with Love and Wildflower for violating a city ordinance.

However, she said, the two local newspapers did not comply so they decided to run after them. — (FREEMAN)