By JOEY A. GABIETA
Staff Writer
Leyte Samar Daily Express
NAVAL, Biliran- Two media practitioners based this town cried foul after they were sent to jail by a judge for indirect contempt of court.
Cited for indirect contempt by Judge Rogelio Joboco, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16, were Jerome
Arcenal and Jorge Mangco who anchors the radio program “Ang Timbangan Sa Katilingban, aired over Radyo Natin.
The two were arrested last Monday and were slapped a ten-day imprisonment and a fine of P10,000 each.
In his five- page decision issued last September 25, Judge Joboco claimed that the two radiomen “derided” the court on their radio program aired last September 12.
The two respondents allegedly tried to project Joboco of being biased on the case which is related to the petition for bail by SPO2 Renato Saul.
Saul, who is also incarcerated at the municipal jail, is the prime suspect on the ambush incident involving the father of Representative Glenn Chong that resulted to the death of one person sometime in June of this year.
Records of the court said that on September 12, the two anchormen tackled the procedure of the court on the dismissal of the petition for bail by Saul and they claimed that the presiding judge was being biased against Saul.
“….They further asked each other, “where in the world can you find a judge arguing the petition’s counsels. They were trying to project of the court’s bias,” Joboco said.
But this decision of Judge Joboco was questioned by the two radio personalities, whose case of being arrested is the first of its kind in the region.
Arcenal, 28, and Mangco, 51, said that on the day that they were arrested last October 13, they appeared before Judge Joboco upon his order.
“We went to the court and appeared before him on compliance of his show cause order. It never crossed to our minds that the judge would order for our arrest, “Arcenal said when interviewed at the municipal jail.
He said that the court never allowed their pleading for a day’s extension so they could hire a lawyer to defend themselves.
Policemen arrested the two inside the court and were right away booked at the municipal jail.
The show cause order issued by Judge Joboco was supposedly meant for the two to explain why they should not be cited for indirect contempt.
Mangco claimed that what the judge did to them was a display of his abuse of authority.
“And this is a form of media censorship,” Mangco said.
Arcenal claimed that what they have experienced were “harassment.”
“We never intent to insult or deride him. We never discussed the merit of the case except on what he have observed during the proceedings. And we maintain that what we did was part of our job as media practitioners informing our listeners…” Arcenal said.
The two said that they decided not to contest the decision of the judge to dramatize their opposition on the decision.
The two have been doing their radio program since May of this year and are block-timers of Radyo Natin whose main sponsor is the Biliran Citizens Alliance for Rural Development. – Leyte Samar Daily Express
For purposes of transparency Timbangan hosts should answer the following questions:
1. What is Biliran Citizens Alliance for Rural Development?
2. Is this a registered entity?
3. Who are the officers of this entity?
4. How many registered members?
5. Has the sponsorship been declared to Radyo Natin?
6. Has the sponsorship for Timbangan documented by way of board resolution and if it is, is Biliran Citizens Alliance for Rural Development prepared to come out and own to it?
7. How does Biliran Citizens Alliance for Rural Development raise its funds to sponsor a radio program which costs a lot of money?
The officers of Biliran Citizens Alliance for Rural Development should come out in the open and explain this sponsorship deal and what are they hoping to achieve.
Is this sponsor regularly mentioned on regular basis on the program?
If not, what is the objective of the sponsorship?
Michael Aguilos:
Are Radyo Natin personnel, hosts, broadcasters, blocktimers and news casters accredited with KBP as per Broadcast Code Philippines 2007?
If not what are you going to do about it? Please refer to the implementing guidelines:
Broadcast Code of the Philippines
2007
PART II IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS
Article 1. Complaints of violations of this Code shall be handled by the KBP Standards Authority which shall hear and rule on such complaints in accordance with duly established rules of procedure.
Article 2. Persons, natural and juridical, who are granted airtime, whether by sale or donation (including blocktimers and independent producers) shall be required to execute an undertaking that they shall be liable, jointly and severally with the station, for all applicable penalties that may be imposed for violations of this Code in their programs. Individuals who go on the air during such airtime shall also be required to execute the same undertaking.
Article 3. Persons who regularly go on the air and newswriters, scriptwriters, editors and directors whose job is to produce material which go on air are expected to know and understand the provisions of this Code and shall be required to obtain accreditation with the KBP before they are allowed to go on the air.
Article 4. Copies of this Code shall be provided by the station to all its personnel who go on the air, produce material for airing or who participate in such work, all persons granted programming airtime and those who go on the air during such airtime.
Amen to that Aquarius…
Good point to be considered…
Well framed thoughts to be answered by Timbangan as a program…
broadcaster must be accredited by the KBP or not, must have the right knowledge on broadcasting. little knowledge of what they are doing gives them many violations. that’s why there are people who are taking up courses and who have finished courses that deals with communication and broadcasting, in order for the media establishment not to lose their credibility.