Friday, March 14, 2008
Vice governor condemns KBP Cebu pooled broadcast, to complain to KBP Manila
CEBU Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. yesterday expressed distress over a brewing conflict between him and members of the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters sa Pilipinas (KBP) Cebu Chapter.
But Sanchez stressed that when he sued Aksyon Radyo-Cebu station manager Carlo Dugaduga and block-time program host Gilbert Wagas for libel, he was merely exercising his right to defend himself and his business against “personal and baseless” attacks.
“Personally, I feel sad about KBP-Cebu,” said Sanchez.
He described a KBP pooled broadcast earlier this week, after Dugaduga’s arrest, as an act of “harassment” by the broadcasters’ association.
The court released Dugaduga on bail after he raised the P14,250 required by a bondsman.
“When Gilbert (Wagas) attacked me, wa man mi nanghilabot nila (we did not drag them into this),” said Sanchez, adding that he followed the KBP rules. But when he raised his complaint before KBP-Cebu, the vice governor said, he was simply ignored.
Sanchez lamented that KBP-Cebu even allowed Wagas to broadcast despite the fact that he was not accredited by the KBP.
But KBP Cebu president and radio dyAB manager Leo Lastimosa denied they harassed Sanchez when they did the pooled broadcast last Wednesday.
Lastimosa said they allowed the vice governor to air his side after the pooled broadcast. The pooled broadcast, he clarified, was not a KBP-Cebu activity but merely agreed on by the broadcasters to show support for Dugaduga.
Lastimosa said it was also untrue that KBP-Cebu ignored the complaints Sanchez raised.
After inquiring with the previous KBP-Cebu chairman, Edward Abad, Lastimosa said the concern that Sanchez raised before the broadcasters’ group was Wagas’ alleged failure to pay for airtime in a station the vice governor owns.
Lastimosa said they will also welcome Sanchez’s plan to send a letter-complaint to the KBP central office.
The vice governor recalled that when Wagas applied for accreditation from the KBP, Dugaduga helped the broadcaster secure an endorsement.
“Although he (Dugaduga) has no direct participation, his action simply showed,” said Sanchez.
“In a 30-minute pooled broadcast, they lambasted me without even getting my side. I tried to interact in their discussion on DyAB but dili gani ko ka ‘sud (I couldn’t get through),” lamented Sanchez.
He said he was able to interact with the broadcasters through his own station, Bantay Radyo.
He went on that it was Dugaduga’s fault he ended up spending a night in jail, because he ignored court summons.
“Kon gitubag lang unta niya, ma-dismiss man tingale kay manager man siya ug wala man siya’y (Had he answered it, he would probably have been dropped from the case because he didn’t have) direct control,” he said.
The vice governor said that if the KBP-Cebu is really fair, its members would have called him up when the court issued the arrest warrant against Dugaduga.
“If they had allowed me to air my side, then I would be glad,” said Sanchez. (GMD)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 14, 2008 issue)
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