Media groups hit closure of Bukidnon radio station

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Media groups here and in Bukidnon have denounced the closure of a station of Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) in Valencia City the other day.

This, after the Valencia City court junked the motion of dxVR-RMN to renew its business permit, which Mayor Jose Galario cancelled last year.

Galario, a former policeman, personally led the padlocking of the radio station Wednesday.

Reports said Galario, who was escorted by policemen, carried a customized and shortened 5.56 mm M-16 rifle. He, however, reportedly denied this.

Uriel Quilinquing, president of the Cagayan de Oro City Press Club, said the manner by which dxVR-RMN was closed "smacks of an outright violation of press freedom."

But anchorman Joash Dignus, officer-in-charge of dxVR-RMN, refused to heed the closure and locked himself inside the announcer’s booth.

This prompted City Hall personnel to nail wooden planks on the door of the radio station.

Dignus was later forced out of the radio station, while the other dxVR-RMN personnel were forced to use a narrow exit to get out of the building.

A large crowd milled in front of the radio station after Dignus announced on air that dxVR-RMN was being padlocked.

Dignus said the animosity between him and Galario started last year because of his critical commentaries against him.

He said Galario filed several libel suits against him but most of them have been dismissed.

Last year, Galario attempted to shut down dxVR-RMN after canceling its business permit but failed after the radio station secured a temporary restraining order from the court.

Dignus said Galario had used the "non-renewal" of the radio station’s business permit to shut down the outfit.

Dignus, with the help of company lawyer, Rogelio Bagabuyo, is preparing to file administrative and criminal charges against Galario.

Bagabuyo alleged that the mayor poked his gun at Dignus and threatened to shoot him when the radio station was padlocked the other day.

Bagabuyo said Galario could not shut down dxVR-RMN since it is operating under a national franchise issued by Congress.

"What a local official can do is to go to the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission) and the House of Representatives and recommend the closure of a station operating on the basis of a national franchise," he said.

Although Galario did not approve the radio station’s application for a new business permit last January, Dignus said he did not send them a letter denying their request.

Under the Local Government Code, a business permit is deemed renewed if the mayor fails to officially inform an applicant "in writing," Bagabuyo said.

He said Galario failed to officially deny dxVR-RMN a business permit during the entire period for the mandatory renewal of business permits of all establishments in the city.

Members of the Cagayan de Oro City Press Club and the Kilusang Alsa Media, a group of media practitioners from Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City and Bukidnon, went to Valencia City yesterday morning to extend support to Dignos and the other dxVR-RMN staffers.

The STAR tried to get in touch with Galario but failed.