The Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office has approved the filing of charges for eleven counts of libel against broadcaster Donard Nojas and the station manager and administrative officer of Smile TV, as co-principals before the Regional Trial Court, on the complaints filed against them by Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
Ramon Rydum Viva Sr., the spokesperson of former Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, is the station manager of Smile TV, while Ramonito Lastima is its administrative officer.
The resolution dated July 30, 2012, was penned by Assistant City Prosecutor Montano Medel Jr. and approved by City Prosecutor Armando Abanado.
The resolution, however, said that there is no probability that co-respondents Sky Cable TV manager Ellen Paver and Visayas area manager Glynda Descuatan, committed such offense.
The resolution said that, as to Viva and Lastima, as production officers of Smile TV, where the program was aired, they are likened to editors of a newspaper, and so they are probably as guilty as if they were the broadcaster in the complaints filed against them.
He added that any person who publishes, exhibits or causes the publication or exhibition of any defamation in writing or by similar means, will be responsible for the same.
The resolution also said that the author or editor of a book or pamphlet, or the editor or business manager of a daily newspaper, magazine or serial publication, is responsible for the defamation contained in the articles.
Bacolod City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan said the decision of the City Prosecutor’s Office shows that there is probable cause for the filing of libel charges against Nojas, Viva and Lastima.
He said they plan to file a motion for reconsideration to include and implead Paver and Descuatan and they have 15 days to do so. His office is reviewing the resolution in so far as the inclusion of the two in the information, he added.
Bayatan said they filed 11 complaints and all passed the resolution for probable cause.
He said that, out of the 11 counts of libel, nine were libelous statements issued by Nojas against the Mayor in Radyo Veritas (DYAF) and two in Sky Cable, covering October 2011 to January 2012.
Bayatan said that all personal attacks were charged maliciously against Leonardia since 2009 but the Mayor had been so patient and so kind to these vicious attackers that he did not do anything against them.
Nojas, Viva and Lastima could not be reached for their comment as of press time last night.*CGS back
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