Gov’t news exec faces sexual harassment case

DAVAO CITY—A 20-year old college student of a Catholic-run university in Cotabato City sued the Cotabato City news chief of the Philippines News Agency (PNA) for sexual harassment and acts of lasciviousness at the Ombudsman Mindanao.

The student’s complaint was filed in June but the Inquirer deferred reporting on it until after the official, Noel Punzalan, had submitted an answer to the Ombudsman.

In a five-page complaint, the student said she became friends with Punzalan on Facebook in December 2015 while she was on training at a local radio station for her Mass Communications course.

Trust

The student said her initial conversations on Facebook with Punzalan were about media. She said Punzalan gained her trust.

In her complaint, the student said she first met Punzalan in person on Jan. 18 at a press conference.

They met again at another press conference a few months later, she said.

On May 31, the student said she accepted an invitation by Punzalan to take photos of the Grand Mosque in Barangay Kalanganan supposedly for a Ramadan article that Punzalan was writing.

After taking photos of the mosque, the student said Punzalan invited her to his house.

After a few minutes, the student said Punzalan invited her upstairs.

There, Punzalan allegedly showed the student lewd photos and two handguns.

That was when the student said she felt uneasy.

When Punzalan asked her to accompany him to buy ink from a computer store downtown, the student said she agreed but the store was closed so he drove home again.

In a counteraffidavit filed on Sept. 16, Punzalan “vehemently, completely, categorically and specifically” denied the student’s accusations.

He accused the student of concocting “lies calculated to extort money.” Punzalan said he had treated the student as a daughter. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao