“Alab ng Mamamahayag” a fight for all of the press, ordinary people  

Former National Press Club (NPC) President Jerry S. Yap, Who is also the Chairman of ALAB ng Mamamahayag (ALAM), Filed on 10 April 2015 A Criminal and Administrative Complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against the police involved in his arrest for Libel on Easter Sunday for two purpose.

These objectives are for the Promotion of Respect for the Press and the Practitioners thereof, and to stop the Oppressive Practice of Arresting Any Person on fridays ,holidays or Non-Office days for Crimes that are not Heinous or Grave Offense.

With these, this Press Conference is called in to request for the help of the Press to Spread the idea for this Advocacy.

These issue of Respect to Journalist and Arrest on Non-Office days so that the Arrested Persons cannot Post Bail are Repeating since time Immemorial. These will repeat endlessly when not confronted.

These Two Important Issues Bugging the Sector of Journalist must be resolved now or never.

It is clear is not for the Personal of Mr.Yap.

This Advocacy began when Mr. Yap Filed on Friday (10 April 2015) A Complaint for Administrative Violations of GRAVE MISCONDUCT and CONDUCT PREJUDICIAL TO THE BEST INTEREST OF SERVICE against the following police Officers.

i. POLICE SENIOR INSPECTOR ROSALINA P. IBAY JR. of Manila Police District-District Police Intelligence Operation Unit (MPD-DPIOU), Manila Police District Headquarters, United Nation Avenue,Manila-for Filling Two Counts of Libel against Mr.Yap when the Column item written did not Defame but just Wrote that Police Officers conducting checkpoint released without charges filed a person caught with Illegal Drugs and a Gun and it happened that these Cops belonged to Don Bosco Police Detachment that Ibay headed;

ii. POLICE SENIOR SALVADOR TANGDOL, POLICE OFFICER 3 ALVIN ALGARO, POLICE OFFICER 2 TERANA,JOHN DOE and PETER DOE, all of Manila Police District Warrant and Subpoena Section (MPD-WSS), Manila Police Headquarters, United Nations Avenue, Manila-for staking out at the Immigration lane inside NAIA Terminal 3  to wait for the arrival of Mr. Yap from abroad on Easter Sunday to Arrest him, deliberately done because it was  to impossible to know the whereabouts of Mr. Yap unless consciously sought out for although there were other persons named in the Warrant of Arrest;

iii. POLICE CHIEF INSPECTOR EDGAR RIVERA, of Philippine Police-Aviation Security Group, Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International (NAIA)-for giving access to Manila Police District (MPD) Warrant Officers for them to be able to Position themselves at the Immigration Lane of NAIA 3 Terminal; and

iv. POLICE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT ROLANDO NANA, Director of Manila Police District, Manila Police District Headquarters, United Nations Avenue, Manila- for not Lifting a finger to stop the Violations committed by His subordinates who Served the Warrant of Arrest for Libel.

First Off, these Acts Violated the standing Memorandum Circular No.3 of the Department of Justice directing that No Arrest shall be done on Fridays, Weekends and Holidays for Crimes that are not grave or Heinous Crimes.

Although this Memo is ancient as it was issued 37 years ago, Policy does not become invalid by Non-use. More so, there has been no new policy issued to revoke the same.

Second, these acts violated the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with NPC , that Coordination has to be made first every time there is a Libel Warrants Against any Member of the Media.

Although not specifically stated, this means that any PNP Member Cannot Serve a Warrant of Arrest for Libel against Any Journalist at nighttime,  Fridays , weekends and Holidays upon the wisdom that the Courts are closed for bail to be processed.

The purpose behind coordination is to inform the Journalist concerned to prepare for bail and nothing else. So that arresting a Media man at a time that he cannot post a bond for temporary liberty defeats that wisdom.

On another, this Advocacy to highlight that Criminal Libel Law is nothing but a Tool of Abuse. The benefits that the Nation and the people can get from a free far outweigh the benefits from keeping this Law.

After all, it has repeatedly been shown that all Libel Cases Filed in all Prosecution Offices and Courts are initiated or caused by public officials or Public Figures.

These Groups of Persons do not deserve to be helped by the Government in order to defend their “damaged” egos. They can defend themselves, after all, by the power of their truth and they can be assuaged by the balm of conscience.

They are also situated in a good position to be able to defend them and at the same time they have that obligation not to be thin-skinned because criticisms are inherent in the official position or statuses that these public officials and public figures voluntarily sought out, accepted and try to keep.

If they wanted no criticism to begin with, then the public officers like Police Inspector IBAY Should Not Apply for or Run for Any Public Office.

In the same vein, Public figures voluntarily did some acts in order for them to known in the community.

They should know also that criticism go with popularity. Popular persons have the obligation to show as good examples to the society and every bad act they did naturally deserve criticism. AMEN.

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Ugaliing manood sa Royal Cable TV-6 Program “Kasandigan ng Bayan” Martes at Miyerkules 9 to 12 noon. Mayor Abner L. Afuang with Royal Cable TV-6 Manager & Southern Tagalog Broadcast Journalist Assn-Inc. President Cris Sanji. Maraming Salamat po.