Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Broadcaster: I have no malice vs. Ouanos
RADIO broadcaster Joash Dignos said he is a stranger in Cebu so his commentaries in his program “Birada” are devoid of any malice against the Ouano family.
Dignos submitted yesterday his counter-affidavit before the panel of state prosecutors handling the preliminary investigation on the 11 counts of libel filed against him.
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano filed three counts of libel against Dignos for imputing him as the protector of the shabu laboratory raided in September 2004.
His daughter-in-law, Cheryl Ouano, also filed eight counts of libel against Dignos for several radio commentaries alleging that she had an illicit relationship with the mayor.
“I have never met in person the complainants so how can I have any malice for her/him,” his counter-affidavit read.
A stranger
“In fact, I am practically a stranger in the province of Cebu, hence, the complaint is no more than the felonious intent to curtail press freedom in the City of Mandaue and to forever silence legitimate critics of the administration,” it further read.
Dignos hails from Cagayan de Oro City. He works for radio dyHP.
Cheryl, chairperson of the Mandaue City Sports Commission filed the first three counts of libel last July 26, saying that Dignos’ commentaries last July 13, 14 and 17 maligned her reputation and affected her family, especially her ailing father.
Two months later, Dignos was charged with eight more complaints both from the mayor and Cheryl, covering commentaries made between July 12 and 21.
Dignos filed separate counter-affidavits for the charges.
He said he was deprived of his right to properly file his counter-affidavit since the Ouanos failed to provide him with the alleged libelous statements.
“The authenticated transcription of the audiotape of the radio recordings of my program by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is highly suspect since NTC knows only too well that their recordings, if any there be, come from the concerned radio/TV stations,” stated Dignos in his counter-affidavit.
Press conference
Dignos also hit at Cheryl for calling for a press conference the day she filed the first string of libel charges against him.
“She (Cheryl) cannot deny that she called for a press conference precisely to lambast and ridicule me without mercy,” he said.
Unlike his radio program where people are given the chance to air their side, Dignos said Cheryl did not give him that chance when she called for a press conference.
He added that a person who has been defamed “may hit back with another libel which, if adequate will be justified.” (JGA)
