Council nixes move to bar broadcaster from sessions

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Vice Mayor Woodrow Maquiling, Sr. and seven councilors have rejected a motion by two of their colleagues to bar a radio broadcaster from covering the sessions of the City Council.

Maquiling, as presiding officer, said this was not acceptable and he will not allow any member of the Council or any other to use the institution for personal gain. He said that prohibiting the media, specifically broadcast journalist Edmund Sestoso, to cover the sessions is tantamount to curtailment of freedom of the press.

The vice mayor confirmed Thursday that, following a motion by Councilor Lani Ramon and seconded by Councilor Antonio Remollo, the Council was divided with a 7-2 vote rejecting the female councilor's motion.

Those who voted against Ramon's motion were Councilors Nilo Sayson, Lionel Banogon, Dan Leon, Franklin Esmeña, Jr., Jose Victor Imbo, Peter Catan and Manny Arbon. Absent during the session were Councilors Saleto Erames and Nelson Patrimonio.

As a backgrounder, Maquiling said Ramon had previously written his office asking that Sestoso, whose block time program Juego Todo, airing on DYGB-FM Power 91, be banned from the City Council. This apparently stemmed from a seemingly personal rift between Ramon and Sestoso over the latter's alleged comments on air, which the councilor believed was intended for her and appeared to be offensive.

About two sessions ago, Ramon delivered a privilege speech seeking to forbid Sestoso from attending the Council, but this was "ignored" because Maquiling said this has to go through due process and the letter be referred first to the Council secretary for review.

"We cannot do that because the City Session Hall is a public place," Maquiling told Ramon, adding that if she had any grievances against Sestoso, she should instead go to court.

Maquiling further suggested to Ramon to refer the matter instead to the committee on rules, chaired by Erames, while the vice mayor assured the public that there will be no similar action in the future as it would become a bad precedence.

Some members of the media and even civilians had reacted, through Facebook, by commenting that the proposed ban against Sestoso was bordering on "attack" or affront against freedom of the press.

Alex Rey Pal, manager of the state-run People's Television 10 in Dumaguete and publisher of The Dumaguete Metro Post, said he felt sad on the action of Ramon, who was a graduate of the Silliman University of Mass Communications.

"The City Council Session Hall is not a privately-owned building that its officials can choose who may or may not enter. It is the people's building. Sestoso, for whatever reason, has every right to be there," said Pal.

Sestoso, for his part, believed that Ramon was slighted by some comments he made on air, even if did not name names but indirectly referring to her about an ongoing complaint against him involving his wife and children.

"I am thankful to the members of the City Council, who by their actions during Wednesday's session, showed an affirmation of upholding press freedom and transparency in governance," said the broadcaster.