City prosecutor inhibits from case vs. tabloid

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office inhibited from handling the complaint filed by the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board against Superbalita editor-in-chief Michelle So, publisher Julius Neri Jr. and writer Fred Monternel over obscene and indecent publications.

City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon found that the motion filed by Superbalita asking for the inhibition of the entire Office was meritorious.

“As a member of the board it is unfair to the respondents if this office will not inhibit from handling the complaint filed by CCAIB against Superbalita as I was one of those people who recommended the filing of the complaint against them,” Sellon said.

He added the complaint filed against Superbalita will be endorsed to the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office.

Based on the affidavit of the witnesses, Sellon said it was stated that the board called for a meeting because of the publication of the two tabloids Superbalita and Banat News.

He said the board did the monitoring of the obscene articles and decided to file the complaint before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

Prosecutor Rodulph Val Carillo, the prosecutor handling the case filed by CCAIB, said only the complaint against Superbalita was being endorsed to the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office while the complaint filed against the BANAT News will remained in his office.

“I will be the one to resolve the complaint filed by CCAIB against the BANAT News as there was no inhibition filed against our office,” Carillo said.

He added that the respondents from BANAT News, publisher Juanito V. Jabat, and writer “Cindy Jones” have already filed their counter-affidavit while BANAT News President Miguel Belmonte did not file his counter-affidavit.

Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane confirmed that their Office received the complaint against Superbalita.

“Prosecutor Ferdinand Collantes of Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office whom I designate as acting Cebu City Prosecutor will conduct the preliminary investigation to the case,” Gubalane said.

The filing of complaint was initiated by the CAIB through Lucelle Mercado, Marie Velle Abella, Juliet Balboa, Cipriano Balili, Dominic Diño, Ma. Socorro Alfafara, Tessa Paradiang-Cang, Jess Anthony Dela Cruz and Joan Arnoco.

They said there were “obscene, indecent, language and words which are sexually suggestive in BANAT News’ “Wildflower” and in Superbalita’s “From Junquera with Love” that served no purpose but to satisfy the market for lust and pornography.”

CCAIB said they already informed BANAT News and Superbalita about the obscene publications but the two continued to publish such articles.

CCAIB said the publications violate the provision of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Presidential Decree 969 on immoral doctrines, obscene publications and exhibitions and City Ordinance No. 1408 as amended.– (FREEMAN)