Tabuk City, Kalinga – Guru Press Editors, after having received their subpoena on cyber libel, said they shall face the charge by Tabuk City Mayor Darwin Estranero which was recently endorsed by the National Bureau of Investigation to the City Prosecutors Office.
Last July 15, 2020 Estrañero sought investigative assistance from the NBI, and thus the Bureau after verifying existence of the articles cited by Estranero as libelous submitted the complaint to the City Prosecutor’s Office to conduct its preliminary investigation against Editors Brent Martinez and Ghumie Pinkihan.
The alleged violation of the editors relates to Sec 4 (c) (4) “Cyber Libel” of Republic Act 10175.
“We will face the charge. I am willing to go behind bars if need be,” said Martinez.
Martinez further said that Estrañero could have easily countered the reports by releasing statements and all the documents of purchases as well as justifying why the prices of Tabuk City LGU were such that they are higher than the ceiling prices.
“Politicians are public servants who serve not themselves but the public. People have the right to ask, to criticize and to report. If they are unjustly vilified, they are vindicated by their performance and their accomplishments,” Martinez added.
Criticisms against Estrañero
The main criticism against Mayor Estrañero started in 2019 with the purchase of a piece of lot with an area of 1.8 hectares worth 46Million in Laya West, Tabuk City which was alleged to be overpriced. The scheme of overpricing allegation became more intense in May 2020 when a receipt showing Tabuk City LGU bought thermal scanners for 12,000 pesos a piece whose retail value ranges from 300-500 pesos circulated on social media.
Thereafter, documents of graft and corruption charges against Estrañero before the Office of the Ombudsman relating to several issues of alleged overpricing were posted on social media.
Political repression and harassment against press freedom
Pinkihan stated that she welcomes cases if they really mean to correct the mistakes of the local media, but the current circumstance is a clear example of harassment and unjust vexation.
“I see this as nothing but a move to kill the local press and to prevent the people of Tabuk to take part in the political discussions and be informed of the transactions of the government. It is ironic that Estrañero is talking about transparency yet silencing criticism through repetitive cyber libel cases,” said Pinkihan.
The cyber libel complaint is with the same content compared to the cyber libel complaint Estrañero earlier filed against the editors which included 4 other individuals in Isabela Regional Trial Court in September 2020.
Those who were charged were known or suspected critics of Estranero, Engr. Dan Peckley Jr., Atty. Errol Comafay, Krishna June Alsiyang, Sunshine Sabado and Guru Press Editors Brent Martinez and Ghumie Pinkihan.
The cases were dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
3 articles which Estrañero cited as libelous
There were three articles alleged to have violated Sec 4 (c) (4) “Cyber Libel” of Republic Act 10175. Estranero stated that these articles have ‘no factual basis, speculative, and false and were created to destroy his [Estrañero] reputation.’
* TABUK CITY: RESIDENTS FILE CHARGE AGAINST MAYOR ESTRAÑERO FOR OVERPRICED MEDICAL SUPPLIES
* TABUK CITY: FORM ASKING PERSONAL DETAILS OF JOB ORDERS AT THE CITY HALL BEING QUESTIONED
* ‘CLAIM THAT NO AVAILABLE THERMAL SCANNERS IN TABUK CITY IN MARCH 2020, NOT TRUE’ – DRUGSTORE OWNERS ASSOCIATION
In his earlier response, Martinez explained that the contents were all based on documents in which two of the articles merely reported what were stated in notarized affidavits. Meanwhile, the other article was based on a document asking personal details of job orders which indeed existed and that follow up communications were made to ask the side of the city LGU but there was no response.
The recent cyber libel case against the Guru Press editors is taken by the Office of the City Prosecutor of Tabuk City headed by City Prosecutor Atty. Rainier D. Sarol.
Martinez and Pinkihan were asked and given 10 days to submit their counter affidavit.
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