By Cha Monforte, Rural Urban News
COMPOSTELA VALLEY- Nabunturan town councilor Alfonso “Jun” Tabas Jr. filed Tuesday a libel case against one municipal planning and development coordinator Freddie Coronica stemming from a broadcast in a government-paid program over a new FM station in town DXPA 103.1 on January 24, 2009 when he attacked Tabas with a mouthful of allegedly scathing libelous remarks.
Tabas is a blocktime anchor of the same station and a known broadcaster here who ran independent and won a councilor’s slot in the last 2007 polls. He is known to be oppositionist to last-termer Mayor Macario Humol.
Tabas complaint was lodged to and docketed by the provincial prosecutor’s office with NPS No. XI-01-INV-09B-0002/9 Tuesday afternoon.
In his complaint received by prosecutor II Alona Labtic, Tabas stated that Coronica allegedly attacked his reputation during the radio program “Padayag sa Nabunturan” by calling him words as “kagawad Tigbas (a hack)”, “kagaw… kagaw sa katilingban (germ), “baboy… irong buang, askal…asong ulol” (pig…mad dog)”, “attack and collect, defend and collect (AC-DC)” broadcaster, “may pagkadakung mota (has big mote in the eye)” and “nagpakaulaw na sa SB (he put the Sangguniang Bayan to shame)”.
Coronica was guesting in the local government-paid blocktime aired on that date at around 6:30 A.M. when he talked about the P90-million bond flotation project of Humol administration, which is as press time being questioned by Tabas and other oppositors in court.
Tabas stated in his complaint that to vindicate his honor as public official, pastor of Missionary Baptist Church and as an active member of Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), he was forced to engage the services of a counsel and paid an acceptance fee of P50,000 to his lawyer.
Tabas stated that that he was executing the libel as criminal case with the reservation of filing administrative cases against the same respondent in other bodies, ostensibly the Ombudsman and Civil Service Commission.
Tabas’ complaint was supported by affidavit of witness Hernanito Clet, a personal assistant of Tabas who claimed he made audio recordings on the program anchored by municipal information officer Jennifer Echavez and guested by Coronica.
DXPA 103.1 had just started broadcasting last December and is owned by former Congressman Prospero Amatong and his family. With its 1,000-watt power capacity, it accordingly reaches its broadcast to as far as portions of Davao City , Mati, Davao Oriental and Agusan del Sur.
Meanwhile, reports said that earlier before Coronica’s recorded lambasts Tabas had castigated for several times Mayor Humol, Coronica and other municipal personnel and officials in his own daily morning radio program “Katin-awan”.
Tabas is defended by lawyer Carlo Ancla.
Respondent Coronica would still have to execute his answer to the complaint before the office of the provincial prosecutor would weigh and rule whether Tabas libel complaint would to be dismissed or not. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)
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