THE Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists (CFBJ) filed yesterday a complaint against an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) who allegedly threatened a radio reporter.
Rey Pasaporte of radio dyDD and a correspondent of Banat News was accompanied by 20 colleagues to the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas, which will conduct a fact-finding inquiry against former PDEA-7 chief Adrian Alvariño.
Alvariño was recently transferred to the PDEA national office in Manila.
He was angered by a news article of Pasaporte in the Sept. 24 issue of Banat News that implicated the official in the release of an arrested drug pusher after an alleged payoff took place: “Alvarino Gipabawna’g P800 Mil?”
In the course of their mobile phone conversation, Alvariño told him, “Tandaan mo Rey ha, babalikan kita dyan (Just remember, Rey, I will get back at you).” The official then sent a text message, “Pasensyahan tayo.”
The reporter said, “I was shocked and scared after what Alvariño told me because I treated the said warning as a threat against my lifeb … I knew he was capable of doing me harm.”
The federation, led by president Elias Baquero, accused the police official of violating Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the law on freedom of the press, and the Revised Penal Code.
“We at CFBJ believe that Adrian Alvariño has violated the law … We will closely monitor whatever action you will take,” said the coalition of news reporters, correspondents and photographers in Cebu, which endorsed the complaint.
Alvariño, in a report of GMA-7’s Balitang Bisdak, said he welcomes the complaint filed against him.
In his affidavit, Pasaporte said he called up Alvariño to get his reaction to the story since the official earlier called the newsroom to complain and threaten a libel suit. That was when the verbal threat was made.
Pasaporte is a member of the Defense-PNP Press Corp. headed by president Chito Aragon. Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol