Cebu City fiscals inhibit from tabloid case

CEBU City fiscals inhibited from handling the obscenity complaint filed against one of two Cebuano tabloids over the weekend.

In an order, Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon elevated the complaint against Banat News to Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane.

Sellon said they have “no other recourse” than to inhibit, despite the absence of a motion by the respondents in the case.

Asst. City Prosecutor Rodulf Joseph Val Carillo endorsed to Sellon the complaint against Banat News after the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office dropped the case against Sun.Star Superbalita.

Sellon earlier granted Sun.Star Superbalita’s motion for the office to inhibit from the case, acknowledging that his membership in the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board (CCAIB) cast doubts on the neutrality of the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.

Gubalane assigned the complaints against the two tabloids to Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Ferdinand Collantes, who will conduct the preliminary investigation and resolve the complaints.

CCAIB filed separate complaints against Sun.Star SuperBalita and Freeman Banat News after the daily columns “From Junquera with Love” and “Wildflower” continued to appear in their pages.

This despite the board’s appeals to their editors and publishers to “tone down” the “obscene” language.

The respondents allegedly violated Cebu City Ordinance 1408 or the Anti-Indecency Ordinance and Article 201 or the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, which prohibits “obscene publications and exhibitions, and indecent shows.”

The CAIB, a body under the office of the Cebu City mayor’s office, include representatives of the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office, Cebu City Legal Office, Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and private sector.  Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol