5 city officials rap broadcaster for libel
BACOLOD CITY -- Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson along with four Sangguniang Panglungsod members filed last Tuesday a case of Libel against blocktimer/broadcaster Franklin Villanueva relative to the latter's report on his blocktime program over an alleged sex scandal involving the five officials.
Acting City Legal Officer Atty. Vicente Petierre confirmed the filing of the case against Villanueva yesterday. He said, the case stemmed from Villanueva's statement over his program that a sex scandal happened in one of the motels in Bacolod City wherein he linked the name of five officials belonging to the so-called "Voltes 5".
Petierre said “Voltes 5” referred to Vice Mayor Sayson, Councilors Greg Gasataya, Homer Bais, Dindo Ramos and Al Victor Espinosa. He said the five officials were tagged “Voltes 5” at the height of the controversial construction of the New Government Center considering their full support to the project.
uncilors was coined in a positive note and nothing wrong about this.
"For Mr. Villanueva to accuse the Voltes 5 without pieces of evidence in a live sex is a serious and irresponsible kind of reporting and broadcasting," Petierre said.
He also said that Villanueva's accusation has a clear and malicious intention to inflict emotional pain to the five officials. Petierre further said that under the Civil and Political Rights, it is stated that "no person shall commit any unlawful interference or arbitrary attack on the person, private life, family and home nor unlawful attack should be made on the honor and reputation of that person.
Petierre said that there is no such thing as "Live Sex" involving the five officials.
"No Live Sex ever took place and No Live Sex ever happened," Petierre added.
Meanwhile, Villanueva said that he only based his commentary on the news report that was mentioned in a local newspaper and also in a national tabloid called "Tonite".