{"id":256,"date":"2009-05-03T07:39:32","date_gmt":"2009-05-02T21:39:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/?p=256"},"modified":"2009-05-03T07:39:32","modified_gmt":"2009-05-02T21:39:32","slug":"a-dark-day-in-journalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/?p=256","title":{"rendered":"A dark day in journalism"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" \/><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\" \/><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\" \/><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\" \/>\n<link href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cdino%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" \/>\n<link href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cdino%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso\" rel=\"Edit-Time-Data\" \/><!--[if !mso]> \n\n<style> v\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iantlavalamp.com\/\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"City\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iamas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\"><\/o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:Compatibility>    <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>    <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>    <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>    <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>    <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <\/w:Compatibility>   <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel>  <\/w:WordDocument> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\">  <\/w:LatentStyles> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object  classid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=ieooui><\/object> \n\n<style> st1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<style> <!--  \/* Font Definitions *\/  @font-face \t{font-family:\"Arial Narrow\"; 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\tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-ansi-language:#0400; \tmso-fareast-language:#0400; \tmso-bidi-language:#0400;} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <o:shapedefaults v:ext=\"edit\" spidmax=\"1027\"\/> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <o:shapelayout v:ext=\"edit\">   <o:idmap v:ext=\"edit\" data=\"1\"\/>  <\/o:shapelayout><\/xml><![endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype  id=\"_x0000_t75\" coordsize=\"21600,21600\" o:spt=\"75\" o:preferrelative=\"t\"  path=\"m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe\" filled=\"f\" stroked=\"f\">  <v:stroke joinstyle=\"miter\"\/>  <v:formulas>   <v:f eqn=\"if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"sum @0 1 0\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"sum 0 0 @1\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"prod @2 1 2\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"prod @3 21600 pixelWidth\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"prod @3 21600 pixelHeight\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"sum @0 0 1\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"prod @6 1 2\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"prod @7 21600 pixelWidth\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"sum @8 21600 0\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"prod @7 21600 pixelHeight\"\/>   <v:f eqn=\"sum @10 21600 0\"\/>  <\/v:formulas>  <v:path o:extrusionok=\"f\" gradientshapeok=\"t\" o:connecttype=\"rect\"\/>  <o:lock v:ext=\"edit\" aspectratio=\"t\"\/> <\/v:shapetype><v:shape id=\"_x0000_s1026\" type=\"#_x0000_t75\" style='position:absolute; 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I never claimed to be a journalist. I have obtained no degree in journalism. I just happen to know how to write. Thanks to the writing skills given to me by the American Jesuits of Ateneo de Manila University, I am now deeply involved in the intricate art of report writing. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">I must admit that I am still in the learning process. Yes, there is so much to learn and one doesn\u2019t really know what to expect or what is going to happen next. And so it happened! <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">One fateful afternoon, a Statement of Claim was personally delivered to the home office of Philippine Tribune by Cresencio Pilao who turned out to be one of the plaintiffs in a defamation case filed against the newspaper. The other plaintiff was Arturo Sayas, owner of Zignal Travel in <st1:city w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Blacktown<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. <\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Apparently emboldened by the dismissal of an assault case filed against them by Retired Philippine Navy Commander Ricardo Palenzuela, Sayas and Pilao decided to file a case of defamation against Philippine Tribune. The case emanates from an editorial that appeared in Philippine Tribune on September 2007, entitled \u201cA True Officer and Gentleman.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Nowhere in the entire editorial did any of the names Sayas and Pilao appear. However, the defamation claim is based on the imputation that the plaintiffs \u201cphysically assaulted and verbally abused Ricardo Palenzuela.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Three witnesses corroborated having read the editorial: Lucas Cayanan, Dorothy del Villar and Ricardo Gerial. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">A known Filipino solicitor Bernie David initially agreed to represent Philippine Tribune and its editor. However, he later decided to pass on the defence of the case to Willy Villanueva, another Filipino solicitor based in <st1:city w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Parramatta<\/st1:place><\/st1:city>. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">In mid-morning of 2<sup>nd<\/sup> March 2009, I received a call from Mr. Villanueva, informing me that the court hearing was scheduled on that same day and that my presence was imperative. Neither my solicitor nor I could make it to <st1:city w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">Sydney<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> within the hour. Not one of us was prepared. Not one of us was aware that the court hearing was scheduled on that day. It is still a mystery <\/span><meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" \/><meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\" \/><meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\" \/><meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 11\" \/>\n<link href=\"file:\/\/\/C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cdino%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml\" rel=\"File-List\" \/><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"State\"><\/o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri=\"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags\" name=\"place\" downloadurl=\"http:\/\/www.5iantlavalamp.com\/\"><\/o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:WordDocument>   <w:View>Normal<\/w:View>   <w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>   <w:PunctuationKerning\/>   <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>   <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>   <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>   <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>   <w:Compatibility>    <w:BreakWrappedTables\/>    <w:SnapToGridInCell\/>    <w:WrapTextWithPunct\/>    <w:UseAsianBreakRules\/>    <w:DontGrowAutofit\/>   <\/w:Compatibility>   <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4<\/w:BrowserLevel>  <\/w:WordDocument> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>  <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"156\">  <\/w:LatentStyles> <\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object  classid=\"clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D\" id=ieooui><\/object> \n\n<style> st1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<style> <!--  \/* Font Definitions *\/  @font-face \t{font-family:\"Arial Narrow\"; \tpanose-1:2 11 5 6 2 2 2 3 2 4; \tmso-font-charset:0; \tmso-generic-font-family:swiss; \tmso-font-pitch:variable; \tmso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;}  \/* Style Definitions *\/  p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal \t{mso-style-parent:\"\"; \tmargin:0cm; \tmargin-bottom:.0001pt; \tmso-pagination:widow-orphan; \tfont-size:12.0pt; \tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";} @page Section1 \t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt; \tmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; \tmso-header-margin:36.0pt; \tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt; \tmso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 \t{page:Section1;} --> <\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]> \n\n<style>  \/* Style Definitions *\/  table.MsoNormalTable \t{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; \tmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; \tmso-tstyle-colband-size:0; \tmso-style-noshow:yes; \tmso-style-parent:\"\"; \tmso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; \tmso-para-margin:0cm; \tmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; \tmso-pagination:widow-orphan; \tfont-size:10.0pt; \tfont-family:\"Times New Roman\"; \tmso-ansi-language:#0400; \tmso-fareast-language:#0400; \tmso-bidi-language:#0400;} <\/style>\n\n <![endif]--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">how it happened that the hearing was set on a date that no one apparently knew about. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Fortunately, my barrister\u2019s chamber was very close to the District Court of NSW and he managed to be present. But like my defence counsel, he too was not prepared. We never had the benefit of a pre-trial conference. Everything came too suddenly. Much worse, my principal witness, Ricardo Palenzuela declared that he was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and therefore could not attend the court hearing. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">Without him, my lame team of one barrister and one solicitor nevertheless went to court the following day with only one witness, Australian Army Major and NSW Police Officer Thomas Baena. He was with Ric Palenzuela at the time of the alleged assault. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">The plaintiffs were represented by two barristers and one solicitor. They came in full force, with a number of witnesses, including one wearing a blazer that identified him to be a representative of Rooty Hill RSL. <o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">After the morning session, my barrister strongly recommended that we enter a settlement agreement, as a means of \u201cdamage control.\u201d An apology that was to appear on the front page of the April 2009 edition of Philippine Tribune was drafted. After several revisions, both my solicitor and barrister finally persuaded me to accept the wording. The settlement agreement prevented me from incurring further court costs.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\">It was indeed a dark day in the practice of journalism. The only consolation derived from that experience is I now carry the reputation of being the first and probably the only Filipino in <st1:state w:st=\"on\"><st1:place w:st=\"on\">New South Wales<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> to face defamation charges. I nevertheless cling to that old adage \u201cno fear, no favour.\u201d ? <strong>DMC<\/strong> <span>\u00a0<\/span><o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"border-style: none none solid; border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color windowtext; border-width: medium medium 1.5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"border: medium none ; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify\"><span style=\"font-size: 3pt; font-family: 'Arial Narrow'\"><o:p>\u00a0<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From the very start of the publication of Philippine Tribune, I have always emphasized that I am not a journalist. I never claimed to be a journalist. I have obtained no degree in journalism. I just happen to know how to write. Thanks to the writing skills given to me by the American Jesuits of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.philippinesentinel.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}