[] WITH other charges such as abuse of authority, corruption and the like, violation of press freedom was also alleged in January 13, 2013 complaint.
[] Sugbo TV and Sugbo News were used mainly to promote ‘a politician,’ Agnes said, obviously referring to Gwen.
[] Cebu City Government had its own transition blues: dispute over ownership of its claimed official book page renamed “Cebu Updates”
AGNES MAGPALE SUED. Twelve years or so ago, Agnes Magpale, at the time the vice governor who was installed as acting governor, ordered the closure of Sugbo TV and Sugbo News.
In Magpale’s “first-things-to-do” list, the shutdown of Capitol’s own media outlets was done on December 21, 2012 with the help of police. Three days earlier, the Deptartment of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), served a six-month suspension order on then governor Gwen Garcia.
First business day the following year, January 2, 2013, Sugbo TV’s head and a reporter sued Magpale, two police officers and a lawyer for abuse of authority, grave misconduct, oppression, conduct unbecoming of a public official, corruption and grave coercion. Also named in the complaint: then regional police chief Marcelo Garbo, regional public safety battalion head Leopoldo Cabanag and a lawyer.
PAM BARICUATRO’S PLAN. Governor-elect Pam Baricuatro has not disclosed her plan about the LGU-owned-and-run media, along with the social media accounts of the governor and the province.
She might (a) suspend their operations while she overhauls staffing and production; or (b) keep the media units open with her own people at the top, until contracts of employees expire and new job-orders are recruited.
Pam is not likely to get rid of the LGU’s media unit. Like most politicians, elected or tried to get elected last May 12, Baricuatro must realize the value of the likes of government media such as Sugbo TV, Sugbo News, and Capitol’s social media accounts.
They publicize not just news and images of Capitol activities -- most of which, of course, include the governor’s role in them -- but also almost everything else that she wants her constituents and the rest of the public to know about her.
PLUSES, MINUSES FROM CAPITOL MEDIA. Advantages include constant, unceasing exposure in the news, photos and reels from Capitol. As seat of power and source of official and authoritative information, the LGU media has a built-in audience composed primarily of stakeholders in its operations, a.k.a. the voters of the province and their families.
As governor who needs public support in the next and other future elections, the province chief executive must want her news of accomplishments spread across the towns and component cities. And her failures and omissions presented in good light and heavy filter, or not published at all.
She controls Capitol-managed media, does the governor not? She can even direct which photos and video clips to publish or photoshop, or not release at all.
Disadvantages to public good include inherent bias and partiality for the chief executive. Still, public awareness that the Capitol media outlets are government property, not personal asset of the chief executive, may help keep in check personal excess or abuse.
ACCOUNTABLE FOR CONTENT, COST. The product that Sugbo News, Sugbo TV and the social media accounts produce is itself a reminder
that the LGU’s chief executive is accountable for Capitol media’s use, specifically its content, and how much public fund it costs, in proportion to the money spent for the basic services.
That accountability was raised against Gwen in 2012, not surprisingly by her would-be political rival Agnes Magpale when the acting governor padlocked the unit’s office and cut off its power and internet connection.
The two women later clashed in the 2019 election, with Gwen beating Agnes for the seat of governor by 293,000-plus votes, whipping her in all seven districts of the province.
That, however, didn’t resolve the issues on Capitol media raised in the 2013 complaint against Magpale et al. News on how the case was resolved -- was it filed it court, how was it decided -- was either not reported or not digitally archived.
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS INVOLVED? An interesting point by the Sugbo News complainants, in public exchange if not in the document filed with the prosecutor, was this: Closure of Sugbo TV and Sugbo News violated press freedom.
Magpale, replying to the press freedom pitch, said the Capitol media outlets were not private media that enjoy the constitutional protection. The governor or chief executive could decide on what to publish and whether to publish them or not.
As to the cost of running the media outlets, no amounts were disclosed but at the time, the province-owned media outlets had 35 employees, 31 of whom reportedly refused Magpale’s offer to renew their contracts when they expired on December 31, 2012, saying that beyond their financial needs was “the need to keep their dignity intact.”
CEBU CITY EXPERIENCE. The controversy in another LGU media is over ownership and use of the Facebook page “Cebu Updates.”
On February 5, 2024, Estela Grace Rosit, the city’s public information officer at the time, sued before the prosecutor’s office two persons allegedly operating the disputed Facebook page. Representing the City Government, Rosit alleged that one Erwin de la Cerna and one Christian Tura violated the law against illegal access and identity theft.
The lawsuit alleges that “Cebu Updates” is City Government property, having been its official Facebook page, and demands its return to the City Government. With the change of leaders at City Hall, it is uncertain if the case would still be actively pursued and the Facebook page issue resolved.
It would seem that when administrations changed -- from that of mayor Edgardo Labella in 2019 to Michael Rama’s stint as ascended mayor in 2021, then as regular mayor in 2022 -- confusion during transition or plain oversight made them forget about the official Facebook page whose account, it turned out, was held in the name of private persons in their private capacity.
It would seem that change of governors or mayors could disrupt or complicate an important sector, like the local government’s communications and information system.
TRANSITION BLUES. There’s no protocol on transfer of equipment and procedures that is diligently reviewed and enforced during transition.
Some of those taking over the LGU may be clueless about which operations to keep open or shut down. Others leaving could take with them things they fancy as theirs, from bathroom fixtures and tiles to social media accounts.