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Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Jailed broadcaster freed
DAVAO -- Radio broadcaster Alex Adonis earned his freedom from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (Dapecol) Tuesday after his release order was approved by the Bureau of Corrections.
Soon after, Adonis came out with a statement condemning attempts to make a media circus out of his release. He sought the company of his colleague in the radio broadcast Dodong Solis and the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP).
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Adonis thanked the NUJP, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Davao and Southern Mindanao chapters, the group of lawyer Harry Roque of the University of the Philippines Law Center, and his friends at the Radio Mindanao Network or RMN-dxDC Davao who stood by him all throughout his ordeal.
He also thanked National Press Club and its president Benny Antiporda "for showing great concern and deep sympathy to me and my loved ones", and Dapecol superintendent Venancio Tesoro for "having professionally handled my close to two years of confinement behind bars".
Adonis expressed resentment, however, on attempts to make a media circus out of his release Tuesday.
"I wish to condemn the brazen moves by some sectors to further exploit my person: the trauma and dislocation suffered by my family through all these years are reasons enough for me to earnestly appeal for me and my family to be spared from further unnecessary propagandizing for whatever ends," he said.
He also made it clear that his asking for an apology from former local television show host Jeanette Lomata-Leuterio was "a hard move" that he had to make because that was what was asked of him.
"I would like to state now the truth that while I did say sorry, it did not in any way mean a capitulation of the truth I have been pursuing nor did it mean an admission of my guilt," he said in his statement emailed to Sun.Star Davao Tuesday evening.
"What is clear to me is that I am determined not to be used this time for any and all political importunings (sic) by any political person or entity that wishes to capitalize on my case for their own political ends," he added.
Reports reaching Sun.Star Davao claimed that no less than House Speaker Prospero Nograles went to Dapecol to facilitate Adonis' release, but Dapecol superintendent Tesoro denied this.
It can be recalled that Nograles filed libel charge against Adonis that resulted to his imprisonment. The libel case was over the now infamous Burlesk King issue where the Speaker, who was just the First District congressman at that time, was alleged to have been having an affair with former local television show host Jeanette Lomanta-Leuterio.
Nograles claims to have worked for Adonis' early parole after the broadcaster asked for his forgiveness.
Adonis was imprisoned in Dapecol for almost two years.
Around eleven in the morning Tuesday, a staff of Nograles already texted the media that Adonis will be having a press conference at the Apo View Hotel in the afternoon. The press conference pushed through but only officers of the National Press Club (NPC) were there. No Adonis showed up.
Adonis was in the company of fellow radioman Dodong Solis, who was the one who raised a clamor for Adonis' release even before the Speaker or any other media club took the cudgels for the jailed radioman.
After Solis' group hyped up Adonis' incarceration and ailments, authorities moved Adonis to Dapecol's infirmary where he was made to stay instead of the common sleeping and living facilities for inmates.
In a press release from the office of Speaker Nograles, however, he said Adonis' parole was fasttracked through the help of NPC, particularly by Antiporda who convinced Leuterio to withdraw the case that she filed against Adonis.
Leuterio filed a separate libel charge against Adonis for the same issue, but it was Nograles' lawsuit that was decided on first, leading to Adonis' conviction and incarceration in Dapecol, while Leuterio's case was only dismissed two weeks ago. (Ben O. Tesiorna & Stella A. Estremera of Sun.Star Davao /Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (December 24, 2008 issue)
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