In signing rites held at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Freeman owner and chairman Jose "Dodong" Gullas said, "I am very glad to leave the Freeman to very able hands," as he turned over the reins of management to incoming president Miguel G. Belmonte, president and chief executive officer of The Philippine STAR and Pilipino STAR Ngayon.
Gullas, vice president of the University of the Visayas and scion of one of the most prominent families in Cebu, continues to be a major owner of the newspaper.
In accepting the Freeman post, Belmonte expressed gratitude to Gullas for his confidence and vowed to take care of the company and its people.
"The entry of the Freeman, which has an 85-year heritage, definitely adds to the prestige and influence of The Philippine STAR Group of Publications and strengthens our position in a vital growth area in the country," Belmonte said.
The partnership between The STAR and The Freeman comes at the heels of Cebu’s resurgence as a major political force following the significant role this province played in the May 10 presidential elections, where it is widely believed to have delivered the crucial votes that gave President Arroyo a fresh six-year mandate.
Other daily publications in The STAR stable include The Philippine STAR, Pilipino STAR Ngayon and PM (Pang Masa).
"The Freeman is a worthy addition to our group as it upholds our own belief that responsible journalism is based on truth and fairness," Belmonte added.
Founded in 1919 by Paulino Arandia Gullas, The Freeman is the most-awarded community newspaper nationwide. In the first three stagings of the prestigious Community Press Awards sponsored by the Philippine Press Institute and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany, The Freeman won 10 of the first 22 awards given.