Ombudsman clears Cebu vice gov on ‘masiao’ tips

CEBU — The Office of the Ombudsman has cleared Vice Gov. Fernando Celeste of any administrative liability for airing masiao tips in his radio program over dyHP.

Graft investigator Edgemelo Rosales said the airing of masiao tips by Celeste in his radio program had nothing to do with the performance of his official duties.

Hence, Rosales said there is no legal basis for an administrative investigation to proceed against Celeste whether for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service or for violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

Rosales said Celeste was only performing his professional duty as a radio announcer under the direction and control of station dyHP when he aired the tips.

Masiao is a highly popular but illegal numbers game.

Rosales said the basic rules which Celeste allegedly violated are well within the coverage of the Code of Broadcasting as formulated by the broadcast industry watchdog Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), and not with respect to his official functions as vice governor of Cebu.

Celeste, who won largely because of his popularity as a radio announcer, has denied airing masiao tips, saying the numbers he aired were for a raffle promo of the radio station.

He plans to run for governor in next year’s elections, and his airing of the controversial numbers has drawn him a wide following.

The Ombudsman also cleared Celeste of the charge that he tried to bribe Cebu Daily News reporter Nestor Ramirez with P5,000 ostensibly to obtain favorable coverage of the masiao issue.

Rosales, who also investigated the charge, said he does not see any logical reason for Celeste to try to influence Ramirez on the masiao issue since the story had already broken out at that time.

Rosales said it has to be presumed that the P5,000 Celeste gave Ramirez was from dyHP and not from the government.

The case against Celeste was elevated to a formal administrative complaint based on a July 14 recommendation by graft investigator Gaudioso Melendez.

Melendez said the vice governor might have violated the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and that his acts might not have been for the best interest of the service as provided for in the Administrative Code.

The KBP, which also investigated Celeste, said the vice governor deliberately encouraged his radio listeners to engage in masiao by giving out number combinations that were obviously meant as tips to probable winning numbers.

The KBP also said it was obvious that Celeste’s intention in giving money to Ramirez was for the reporter to tone down his reports on the issue.

The KBP report formed the basis for the Ombudsman’s investigation, but Rosales said Melendez’s report lacked any factual basis, considering that the findings of the KBP chapter in Cebu were still subject to final action by the KBP national office. — Freeman News Service