Lingayen dads, 3 radiomen in a tiff over text message

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — For reading a text message about an unnamed municipal councilor who is allegedly hooked on drugs and beats up his wife, three broadcasters have earned the ire of this town’s council.

In their regular session the other day, majority of the councilors approved on first reading a resolution authored by councilor Randall Bernal declaring radiomen Rannie Manaois, Ronald Allan Sison and Nicky Boy Reyes persona non grata.

Manaois is the operations manager of dzRH-Dagupan, where he anchors the popular program "People Power." Sison is an anchorman of the same radio station, while Reyes, elected provincial board member in 2001, hosts the program "Mr. Public Service" on dwPR.

This Monday, a council panel will hear Bernal, adjudged one of the outstanding councilors of the province in last week’s Pangasinan Councilors Week, expound on his reasons for filing the resolution.

The three radiomen said they merely read the text message and were surprised why Bernal reacted that way.

The councilors who approved the resolution argued that they should not be questioned for doing so, saying the move manifested their "personal feelings" against the three broadcasters.

Manaois said the councilors apparently failed to study the basis for such a declaration and fully understand "the meaning of persona non grata."

"What if all media practitioners attack them, will they also declare all of them persona non grata?" he asked.

"Di ninyo pag-aari ang Lingayen. Ayusin ninyo ang pagtatrabaho ninyo kung ayaw ninyong mabanatan kayo (You don’t own Lingayen. Do your work well if you don’t want to be criticized)," he told the councilors.

In his radio program yesterday, Manaois dared Bernal to undergo a drug test, which he said he is also willing to do.

"If you are found negative I will resign from my position, but if you are positive you must be shot at the plaza because you are a public official," he said.

Reyes, for his part, told The STAR that he will "definitely not take this matter sitting down."

He said he will consult his lawyers on what to do once the Lingayen council passes Bernal’s resolution on final reading.

Reyes served as municipal administrator of Lingayen, but his relationship with former mayor Ernesto Castañeda, who appointed him to the position, has turned sour. Castañeda’s wife, Josefina, is the incumbent mayor.

Incidentally, the councilors who approved Bernal’s resolution are allies of the Castañedas.