Cokaliong files P20M libel case

The intensity of the action in the basketball court is moving on to another arena - the court of law, after a libel case was filed early this week stemming from an advertisement that was published in a local newspaper supposedly to congratulate a winning team.

Shipping mogul Chester Cokaliong, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Cokaliong Shipping Lines, filed a P20 million libel suit by way of moral damages against the owners of JV Shop N Shop Co. and the owner of an advertising agency for allegedly subjecting him to public contempt, ridicule, and shame.

In a three-page complaint filed before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office, Cokaliong accused JV Shop N Shop Co. owners Vincent Maynard Sy and Van Monroe Sy together with ASAP owner Meyrick Jacalan for causing the layout and publication, with malicious intent, of a paid advertisement published at Sun Star Daily last December 19.

Cokaliong, who played with his own team Cokaliong Shipping Lines, said that his squad finished as first runner-up of the tournament after losing to the team of the respondents, JV Shop & Shop, in the championship series of the City Sports Club Cebu Winners League.

On December 16, Puerto Servicio de Cebu Inc. published an advertisement in the same newspaper congratulating Cokaliong's basketball team and in the same ad, the five individual awards of Cokaliong were enumerated.

These individual awards were as scoring champion, being the shooting guard of the mythical five, best 3-point field goal percentage, first runner-up in 3-point shoot-out contest and first runner-up in 2-ball shoot-out contest.

In his affidavit, Cokaliong said, the Sy brothers and Jacalan also published a one whole page congratulatory advertisement on December 19. The ad stated, " It is team effort, not only individual performance, that wins championship."

Such statement, Cokaliong in a press conference said, has created an impression in the mind of the public that he is concerned only of individual awards and not of the effort of the entire team. It is common knowledge in basketball that players who do not think of their team and just focus on their individual performance are not well liked.

Cokaliong is well known in the local basketball community as a streak shooter who can shoot three-point baskets all game long. A few years ago, he scored a personal record of 33 three-point baskets in one game of the Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association finishing that game with a total of 103 points.

Cokaliong also said that the advertisement was made to appear that he and his basketball team were involved in a fraud by colluding with the tournament officials and did not deserve the championship trophy of the 2004 season of the same tournament.

Specifically, the advertisement said, "JV Shop hoopsters walked out against Cokaliong with a four-point lead because of questionable and sloppy officiating."

"Clearly, despite that the paid advertisement was supposed to congratulate the winner in the 2005 season, they unduly cast aspersions upon my person and my team by accusing us of conniving with the tournament officials to ensure our victory in the previous year through questionable and sloppy officiating," Cokaliong said in his affidavit.

Cokaliong added that due to the aforesaid malicious and libelous publication, several of his friends called him up about the adverse publicity generated thereby causing upon him untold damage and prejudice since he was so ashamed and had sleepless nights.

Cokaliong said that he is supposed to include Sun Star Daily in the suit, but opted not to pursue it after the newspaper management committed to publish a one-half page apology, which he accepted.

Jacalan, when sought for comment about the case being filed against him said, "I have nothing to fear. I did not do him any wrong. We have a law governing us. We firmly believe that justice still works in this country."