Arrest of alleged druglord spawns Bohol media row

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Some media personalities in Bohol are now at loggerheads over allegations that certain mediamen have been in the suspected druglord’s payroll and benefited from drug money, especially during the last special barangay elections in the province.

The heated media row started after the Feb. 14 arrest of suspected druglord, Sherwin Bautista, who was allegedly caught with P1.3 million worth of  shabu and high-powered firearms at his house in Tiptip District of this city. Operatives of the CIDG and the Bohol Provincial Police Office nabbed Bautista.

In the wake of Bautista’s arrest, radio DyTR commentators, lawyer  Salva Diputado and Ted  Aying, in their public affairs program “Kwentas Klaras,” have been claiming that a copy of  CCTV footage allegedly taken from Bautista’s residence had unraveled identities of mediamen who were reportedly under the suspect’s drug payroll.

While Aying did not claim that he personally saw the CCTV footage, it was Diputado who has been insisting over the airlane that his “source” at the CIDG had shown him the controversial footage.

Diputado also alleged, in the same radio program, that one of the mediamen seen on Bautista’s CCTV had requested the CIDG to have his face obliterated from the footage. Both commentators have also claimed that those in the drug payroll were not connected with station DyTR.

Reacting to the aired insinuations, the Bohol Tri-Media Assocation (BTMA) dared the Kwentas Klaras commentators to “name names” those mediamen under drug payroll and called on the two “not to place any (members of  Bohol media) on trial by publicity by issuing such irresponsible allegations.”

A press statement, issued by the 15-member BTMA directors, led by their President Peter Dejaresco, who is also the general manager of the Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp., said: “Name names with evidences on any members of the Bohol Tri-Media Association involved in drugs.”

The BTMA also said: “In the meantime that there are no names and evidences being brought out, the BTMA appealed to these radio commentators to refrain from issuing irresponsible allegations as it is just damaging the reputation of  Bohol media in general.”

The BTMA further cited its “continued support on the campaign against illegal drugs in the province,” and that several of its members have been made witnesses to police anti-drug operations resulting in the arrests and prosecutions of drug suspects in Bohol.

To clear their names, BTMA  members on Friday subjected themselves to a voluntary drug-test at the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in Tagbilaran City. None were found positive of drug use.

In the ensuing row, Diputado drew flak from the public after Sr. Insp. Lictag, CIDG-Bohol chief, in an interview over DyRD’s Inyong Alagad program yesterday, denied of any existence of CCTV files seized from Bautista’s house.

Lictag said that, even if  the CIDG had such footage, it would not allow any person to view it. He also denied reports that the CIDG had received request from a Bohol media member to have his face deleted from the footage.

Following Lictag’s public statement, DyRD anchormen Fred Araneta, Boy Guingguing and Chito Visarra yesterday lambasted Diputado for “acting irresponsibly” on his report, which they said had tarnished the reputation of the entire members of the Bohol media.

The three said Diputado owes an apology to members of  the Bohol media, adding that his commentary “would erode Boholanos’ trust on media as the fourth estate.” (FREEMAN)