‘File libel charges against radioman’ Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 05, 2009
THE Cebu City Prosecutors' Office has recommended that a libel suit be filed in court against a broadcaster who was accused of verbally maligning a businessman-turned-whistleblower.
In a resolution, Assistant City Prosecutor Alex Gabud has found sufficient basis to indict mediaman and lawyer Ruphil Bañoc who allegedly had the intention to “denigrate, humiliate, discredit and subjected to ridicule” Crisologo Saavedra through a radio program.
After a “careful study and evaluation” of the case, Gabud said he found probable cause against Bañoc, who was accused of calling Saavedra as 'kawatan' (thief) and 'yabag' (stupid) in his morning program Birada over radio station dyHP, where Bañoc works as a station manager.
Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon approved Gabud’s resolution.
Bañoc said he had yet to receive the resolution and that he still had to evaluate the findings of the handling prosecutor.
He denied Saavedra’s allegations and claimed that there was no clarificatory hearing conducted by Gabud for him to answer the allegations against him.
He also questioned the statements in the transcript of the radio program submitted by Saavedra before the Cebu City Prosecutors' Office.
Last November 2008, Saavedra filed a libel case against Bañoc and his four former spa employees, who sought Bañoc’s help after they allegedly failed to receive their salaries for nine months for failing to make the P14,000 quota required by Saavedra. /Reporter Ador S. Mayol
