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Thursday, January 03, 2008
Broadcaster nabbed while holding radio program
CEBU CITY -- For about an hour Wednesday morning, ABS-CBN radio station manager and television newscaster Leo Lastimosa was the news.
Escorted by a team of Regional Intelligence Division operatives led by Senior Superintendent Augusto Marquez Jr., Lastimosa was brought to the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in compliance with a warrant of arrest for libel.
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Lastimosa promptly posted the P10,000 bail and was released upon the order of RTC Judge Geraldine Faith Econg. He is scheduled to return to court on his own during his arraignment.
Journalists were out in full force to cover Lastimosa's presentation to the RTC.
He maintained that the libel suit lodged against him, resulting in the issuance of the arrest warrant, is plain and simple harassment on the part of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
He assured, though, that despite the criminal case, he will continue to perform his functions as a journalist with dedication and without fear.
The governor has sued Lastimosa over a column that the latter wrote criticizing her flagship program, the Cebu International Convention Center.
She then filed a separate civil suit before the Barili RTC for moral damages arising from the publication. The suit was recently dismissed on a technicality but may be re-filed in Cebu City anytime.
Word of Lastimosa's impending arrest in the libel case circulated last December 27 yet, with Lastimosa quickly issuing a statement that he will be waiting for the police after his daily morning program "Arangkada" on the first working day of 2008.
Based on the "return of warrant of arrest" form that Marquez submitted to the judge, it was exactly what Lastimosa did.
"That subject voluntarily submitted his person to the elements of the Regional Intelligence Division... on or about 9:45 in the morning of Wednesday, January 2, 2008, at the ABS-CBN Compound, Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City," Marquez's report read.
He said they simply picked up Lastimosa from the compound because he'd previously contacted them to say he was submitting himself to the custody of the court.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ronald Roderos said that four days ago, Judge Econg gave a verbal instruction to Marquez to implement the arrest warrant against Lastimosa.
Marquez proceeded to Barangay Jagobiao in Mandaue City Wednesday morning when he heard Lastimosa on air, Roderos added.
Roderos confirmed that he broadcaster was released on bail shortly before noon Wednesday.
Wednesday's service of the warrant disrupted what would have been a happy time for the broadcaster. The Barili RTC had just dismissed the damages suit against him over a technicality.
Judge Leopoldo Cañete, in his four-page resolution, said the governor may have a "Hispanic residential house" in Dumanjug town but this does not automatically mean she should file her damages suit there.
Judge Cañete cited the Supreme Court's rulings in the cases of Time Inc. vs. Reyes and in Uy vs. Mercado.
"Considering her very hectic schedule as the chief executive of the Province and taking into account the caseload of this court of close to 5,000 cases more or less, the conclusion is inescapable that she cannot finish testifying in this case (in Barili) in a setting of two or three and even more, thus prejudicing the interest of the public service," Cañete said. (KNR/With JST/Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (January 3, 2008 issue)
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