THE municipal legal counsel of Malay, Aklan is in hot water for allegedly assaulting a former member of the media who is running as an independent candidate for provincial board member.
Jonathan Cabrerra, station manager of Todo Radyo-Kalibo, said he was attending a birthday party of a supporter in Malay, Aklan when he was introduced to lawyer Melanio Prado, Malay's legal counsel.
"Right there, he immediately strike me at my head a bottle of beer. Bystanders immediately pacified both of us and I immediately left the area to undergo medical check-up. I also recorded the incident to the Philippine National Police," Cabrerra said.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Aklan issued Friday, May 3, during the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day, a manifesto condemning the incident.
Cabrerra said the motive may not have been politically motivated.
"I know Atty. Prado to be kind and I was surprised when he did that to me. Maybe, he was hurt because news anchors from the Radyo Todo has been criticizing the local government of Malay because of the erroneous contracts it had entered into," said Cabrerra, who also formerly was an
elected councilor of Malay.
For several months, the Todo Radyo has been exposing a report from the Commission on Audit (COA) on the Public Private Partnership entered by the local government to the Ecos Sanitary Landfill and Solid Waste Management Corporation.
Because of the COA report, Malay Mayor Abriam Sualog earlier said that it had stopped paying dues to the Ecos and called for review of the contract.
Prado could not be reached for comment.
Sources close to Prado said the lawyer has been explaining to his friends that the incident was just a mere accident. Prado, however, is yet to apologize to Cabrerra. (SunStar Philippines)