“Press Freedom Very Strong”
Filipinos, according to SWS survey, say that they and the media can say anything they want.
In a way, its true. Filipinos and the media have been abusing and the President, despite of some labelling him “a dictator” has not done anything – yet. But as usual, Filipinos pag nilargahan mo ng nilargahan ang pisi, they tend to abuse their so-called “freedom” of speech to the point of lying and magnifying and exaggerating something that is not true.
The leadership has been tolerant of false and malicious accusations. That’s what the media should be careful of. One can be libeled when malice exists.
In my years in government service as Chairman of the Movie & Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) from 1986 to 1992; and Chairman of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos up to 1998 when he stepped down; and from 2004 to 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed me as one of the directors of the PCSO Board, I have so many cases of libel cases filed against me. But God is good and the Judges on whose lap the cases fell dismissed them all because there was no malice in what I said and wrote in my columns.
When one speaks of the truth and explains what’s happening, that’s not libelous.
Lately, I’ve been suffering from two people who are harassing me, charging me of “Cyber-Libel,” one after another as their defense mechanism everytime I write what they did to the property of my parents. Is it “libelous” to let the public know that I had nothing to do with the demolishing of the ancestral home of our parents? After all, I am entitled to self-defense. The people in the neighborhood told me that they thought that I was the one who had demolished the property of my parents inside our compound, next door to me and my sisters. Ang sabi pa ng mga neighbors at ibang tao ay: “Kung kay Chairman Manoling ‘yang project, siguro naman maiging project ‘yan.”
I want to make it known to one and all that I had/have no participation in this project which was, as a matter of fact, held a secret from my three sisters, myself and another brother.
It was a big surprise to us living next door in our family compound when one morning in April 2018 last year, we saw our small gate leading to our mother’s home welded. My mother passed away in May 31, 2002, leaving a holographic Will (about 10 pages handwritten Will) that the properties and house built by my father and given to her in the 1950s must be preserved for the enjoyment of all her six children.
Little did we know that the properties in the name of my late mother was already sold way back in 2014 and kept a secret. I won’t elaborate. But sneaking on us whoever were involved shows malice and done with bad intentions. The culprits were the ones who presented the falsified documents and several deeds of sale in court. We knew absolutely nothing about the said transaction.
We are now in court to defend the rights of our beloved mother. We cannot do less. And all her estate property inside the house are nowhere to be found. Stolen?
Bakit nagsasampa ng libel cases against me when I owe it to the public to inform them that I and my other siblings had/have no participation in what is happening. The very deep excavation breaks our hearts for the hole is so deep with stagnant water, conducive to dengue mosquitoes to breed on.
For 17 months, we have been besieged and mentally tortured inside the compound with the noise of two backhoes. Actually there are two such excavations going on at the same time: on the property of my parents and across also a condo/hotel, both given “Special Permits” by the Quezon City Council in 2017. We were never informed in the neighborhood, no hearing called by the City Council of Quezon City.
“Special Permits” daw for “Special projects.” That’s what the Q.C. Resolution says. But what’s so “special” about said permits? Please tell us.
Mayor Herbert Bautista, as Quezon City Mayor could have vetoed the resolution. But I understand why he could not. I know the reason. We, in the family were informed. But now that Quezon City has a new Mayor, we hope she would veto her own act.
For comments and suggestions email at mlmorato@yahoo.com
