Radio blocktimer sued for libel

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay captain from Barili town has filed a criminal complaint for libel against a radio blocktimer before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Patupat barangay captain Leonida Gabales, 51, accused Oscar Pasaporte of spreading malicious and unfounded accusations against her.

Pasaporte, resident of Barangay Minolos, Barili and handling blocktime program over Bantay Radyo, allegedly accused Gabales of living at the barangay hall.

The accusation was aired over Bantay Radyo on April 14, 3013. Gabales said she was told by Edecio Cambahad that he heard Pasaporte maligning her over the radio.

Pasaporte reportedly mentioned in his program that Gabales is using the barangay hall as her personal abode.

“I was so saddened by the false and all fabricated statements that Pasaporte has blemished our name in the mind of thousands of radio listeners which in fact I have my own house and my children were only seldom to be seen in Barili since they were so busy with their studies in Cebu City (sic),” Gabales said.

Gabales said she was told by councilman Jigger Flores that Pasaporte was fed with wrong information by Renante Mariñas. However, Mariñas denied feeding information to Pasaporte when confronted at the police station.

Gabales had at least three witnesses who executed affidavits to support her complaint.

Pasaporte admitted that Gabales became one of the subjects of his commentaries. According to him, the residents of Patupat told him that the barangay captain is living at the barangay hall since November.

“I don’t’ know if she still lives in there. But before I saw laundry hang outside the barangay hall,” he said.

Pasaporte cleared Mariñas, his close friend, of the suspicion that the latter was his informer. According to Pasaporte, his friend was not his informer but the residents of Patupat and the complainant’s neighbors.

Pasaporte said he is willing to answer the complainant as soon as he receives a formal copy. (FREEMAN)