Media outlet "harassed" for publishing documents?

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines  — Trinidad town-based Bohol Balita Daily News, a daily newspaper circulating in the province, has received what could be perceived as harassment allegedly from a municipal official here, said a report.

The report said then Congressman and now Mayor Roberto Cajes of Trinidad town is contemplating to file an indirect contempt case against BBDN. It was not however known what prompted the mayor to file a case.

BBDN publisher/editor-in-chief Johnny Orioque said in an interview last week he has not yet received a copy of the complaint if ever there is any that was filed in court. He refused to give further comments.

The publication is also facing a risk of losing, not only the subscription of the municipal government, but also its license to operate, said a source who refused to be identified.

According to the source, the mayor is allegedly set to cancel the business permit of the outfit and his office has already stopped its subscription. In fact, there was already a check issued by the town for payment of the subscription but was not released to BBDN, the source said.

The source said that if indeed the reported case filed against the BBDN is true then the move of Mayor Cajes may have something to do with BBDN's publication of documents relative to Jane Censoria Cajes, former SK national president and the mayor's daughter's alleged unaccounted and mismanagement of fund during the latter's incumbency.

BBDN has published recently a paid advertisement by a certain Manuel Ferdinand De Erio, Jane Cajes' former aide, who filed a case against her for alleged failure to liquidate millions of pesos for certain projects.

Jane Cajes, who just got married to city councilor Baba Yap, is facing investigation for unliquidated fund sought by her former trusted aides and friends De Erio and columnist Leo P. Udtohan before the office of Ombudsman in Manila. But she denied the accusations.

She is the former SK federated provincial president who sits as an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bohol and the first lady SK national president that made her a commissioner of the National Youth Commission.

According to De Erio the Commission on Audit Fraud and Investigation office legal services has subpoenaed Jane Cajes to submit the liquidation of P10 million given by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Earlier, Cajes said that the first tranche of P20 million, intended for the "Sama-sama Para Sa Kalikasan" environmental program, is still "intact" and the second release of P10 million courtesy of the then Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's social fund was already accounted for.

De Erio and Udtohan enumerated the charges against her, including engaging in multi-million-peso procurement of goods and services without bidding, lack of transparency in the finances of the SK federation in the total amount of PhP93.6 million allegedly remained unaccounted for, failure on her part to present financial statements, over-spending on newspapers advertisements to the tune of PhP3 million, over-spending of tarpaulin printing at PhP1 million, repeated acts of executing false statements regarding the existence of financial statements and failure to act upon the nationwide clamor for transparency, lavish display of wealth and failure to act upon a written request for public documents.

Mayor Cajes and her daughter could not be contacted yesterday for their side.-/WAB (FREEMAN)