TV news anchor faces cyber-libel raps

A NEWS anchor is facing seven counts of cyber-libel after a former councilor of San Simon town who was mistakenly identified as "the cruel Chinese owner of Real Steel Corporation" in one of the anchor's social media posts filed the charges on September 22.

Melchor Santillan Tayag of Barangay San Agustin, San Simon formally filed the charges against television news anchor Erwin Tulfo before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in City of San Fernando, alleging that Tulfo's post in social media on separate occasions "maligned my good name as a former public servant and a private businessman."

"I was described as Chinese national in one of the social media posts with a caption 'Chinese national pinipilit ang mga empleyado mag-shabu, ginagawang target practice at binubugbog,'" said Tayag in his complaint affidavit.

Tayag's complaints were received by Associate Provincial Prosecutor and Investigating Prosecutor Chito Pantaleon.

Meanwhile, the Real Steel Corporation management is also preparing separate multiple counts of cyber-libel against Tulfo and a certain Joey Gumana, the alleged source of information peddled to the news anchor.

Lawyer Jose Mari Lacas, legal counsel of RSC, said pieces of evidence have been gathered against the duo who were responsible behind the alleged "lies and baseless accusations" posted on social media against the steel plant.

"Tulfo's multiple posts including maltreatment and other accusations against the owner of RSC are baseless and false," said Lacas.

Tulfo, in his September 10 and 11 posts on Facebook, said that some of the employees at RSC are allegedly being maltreated and were made as target practice by the Chinese owner and forced to sniff shabu before reporting to work.

The TV anchor also claimed that RSC owner will be facing multiple criminal charges in court, including human trafficking, violation of the immigration law and serious illegal detention as complained by the workers who were prevented from going out of the steel factory for six months.

The regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment backed by local police visited the RSC plant to check on the condition of workers and at the same time conduct investigations on the allegations made by Tulfo in his social media page.

"The workers were not locked up, they were not allowed to go out and accept visitors to protect them from the coronavirus," said Director Maria Zenaida Angara Campita during a phone interview.

Campita said the workers voluntarily resigned and were not rescued as earlier reported in another media outlet.

The local police also issued a certification citing that RSC workers and their workplaces are drug-free. (Chris Navarro)

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