Broadcaster hurls top provincial prosecutors to Ombudsman
ANG
Seven top prosecutors of the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutors Office were named respondents in at least two administrative complaints filed by a veteran broadcaster.
Lodged before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas, complainant was Arsenio "Kamlon" Ang with charges including grave misconduct, oppression and conduct prejudicial to the service.
The complaint stemmed from an earlier Libel case filed against Ang by a congressman-complainant. The prosecutors, Ang stated in his complaints, "acting on the behest of a powerful person, Rep. Ferjenel Biron(4th District, Iloilo) and conspiring with one another, maliciously abused their power by hastily concluding preliminary investigation that turned out to be mis-investigation."
In a prefatory statement of the Petition/Complaint, Ang averred that he was constrained to file the administrative complaint "because he has nowhere else to turn to, his tormentors and persecutors being the very persons entrusted with the lofty duty and power to assist the court in the administration of justice, in conducting preliminary investigation so to screen out baseless, frivolous and malicious suits that could otherwise clod the dockets of the courts."
Among Ang's evidences were various certifications issued by renowned broadcast-journalist John Paul Tia, manager of Aksyon Radyo Iloilo.
The certifications, he explained to The News Today (TNT), showed that the broadcast dates Biron alleged as incidents of Libel never occurred. As such, he decried the case he now faces and sought the Ombudsman's help.
Respondent-prosecutors were Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor Bernabe Dusaban, Assistant Provincial Prosecutors Gualberto Balla, Davilahn Columna, Edwin Sustituya, Jonacel Marañon, Antonio Chin and Ricaflor Obsequio.