Broadcaster pleads not guilty to libel raps

A BROADCASTER pleaded not guilty to the crime of libel in an arraignment held at Branch 38 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Dumaguete City Thursday morning.

Joinny Cahilog, also known as Rex Santos, represented by his lawyer, pleaded not guilty of the crime charged against him by businessman Nekane LLanderal Gobonseng more than six months ago.

The information read in Cebuano charged Santos with malicious intent for allegedly maligning the owner of “Ang Bar Ko Traveler’s Inn.”

DUMAGUETE. Broadcaster Rex Santos signs the commitment order in front of Regional Trial Court Branch 38 Judge Cenon Repollo after putting P10,000 bail bond. (Victor L. Camion)

Santos, a blocktime commentator of Power91 dyGB FM, said the crime charged against him is false and untrue.

Santos said he will fight for his right because he was just revealing what is true.

In an interview with local media, Santos admitted that in his program on December 6, 2011, he publicly tackled an incident that happened during a raid conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) at “Ang Bar Ko Traveller’s Inn” a night before the scheduled broadcast.

Santos said he personally witnessed PDEA personnel blocked by the owner of the inn. The raid, he added, confirmed that repacking of shabu happened inside the traveler’s inn.

He described the charges as harassment of freedom of the press.

Gobonseng’s legal counsel Raymund Mercado, for his part, clarified that his client just tried to defend her human rights against any person who tries to abuse the freedom of the press.