Davao Sur broadcaster arrested for libel

DIGOS CITY—Police authorities on Friday arrested broadcaster Arvin Malaza over five counts of libel filed at the Regional Trial Court here by former Mayor Arsenio Latasa.

Malaza, also known as Jun Blanco, was brought to the city police office here for booking around 3:40 p.m., Supt. Querubin Manalang, the city police chief, confirmed.

Regional Trial Court Judge Carmelita Sarno Davin, who issued the warrant against Malaza, prescribed a bail of P10,000 for each count.

However, it was learned that the broadcaster failed to post the required bail as Davin was already out of office.

The next court day will be on Monday, which means Malaza has to spend time in jail from Saturday to Sunday.

Malaza underwent the normal booking process, including medical examination.

Malaza’s trouble started in early August when he suddenly made Latasa, who was also former Davao del Sur vice governor, the object of his criticism.

He started by accusing Latasa of enriching himself while in public office. Malaza said among pieces of evidence were “Latasa’s mansion and Olympic-sized swimming pool” but offered no further evidence.

He also insinuated that Latasa—who he called names on air—was behind the extra-judicial killings here of suspected criminals when he was mayor from 1992 to 2010.

By September, Latasa had filed more than 200 complaints for libel against Malaza at the city and provincial prosecutor’s office, citing among other reasons Malaza’s insinuations he had an affair with the wife of another broadcaster and probably had fathered a child with her.

The wife of the said broadcaster also filed on Sept. 9 at least 11 counts of libel against Malaza at the city prosecutor’s office.

Of the complaints that Latasa filed, the city prosecutor’s office approved only six counts, which the court issued a warrant for.

There has been no information from the Davao del Sur provincial prosecutor’s office on the status of the complaints that Latasa had separately filed there.

Malaza had been claiming he was being politically harassed and sought the help of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) but Latasa said the recordings of Malaza’s broadcast would bail him out.