City Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog has filed another complaint for libel against The News Today publisher Rommel S. Ynion, editor-in-chief Junep Ocampo and columnist/contributing reporter Manuel "Boy" Mejorada before the City Prosecutor's Office.

In an affidavit-complaint, Mabilog alleged that Ynion, Ocampo and Mejorada conspired to malign his name and reputation with the publication of a column entitled, "Good Governance", in this newspaper on March 13, 2012.

The respondents received their copies of the affidavit-complaint only on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at editorial offices of TNT.

Assistant City Prosecutor II Rose Edith G. Togonon has set the preliminary hearing for the complaint today at 2 o' clock in the afternoon. Mejorada said he will ask for an extension of time to file counter-affidavits because of the inadequate time given him and his co-respondents.

Mabilog complained that the column contained "malicious imputations of a crime(s), vice or defect" when Mejorada wrote that he "is the number one enemy of transparency and accountability. He is dishonest and makes lying an official policy. xxx Obviously, he has deep secrets to hide, to a point that one media man is dead, and another is limping with a hole in the leg, for simply trying to expose these shady deals."

He also complained about these sentences: "But Mabilog doesn't even flinch with guilt each time he tells a lie. He has also learned the dark art of making promises he doesn't intend to fulfill. He changes his mind as many as four times a day. He is a nightmare when measured in the standards of good governance."

He added that the following paragraph was libelous: "There is now a deliberate effort to shut up the mouths of media persons who expose the truth. These are powerful public officials who don't want to be exposed. Most vulnerable, of course, are the ordinary broadcasters who don't have the resources to protect themselves adequately. These public officials have formed alliances with crime syndicates; the criminals provide the muscle to protect the corruption of these public officials.xxx"

Mabilog said he suffered P100,000 in actual damages, P10 million in moral damages, P5 million in exemplary damages and attorney's fee of P100,000.

This is the second libel complaint that Mabilog has filed against Ynion, Ocampo and Mejorada over the series of exposes regarding City Hall corruption.

In the first complaint, the City Prosecutor's Office only found probable cause against Ocampo and Mejorada. The case is now pending before the Iloilo Regional Trial Court Branch 29 under presiding judge Gloria Madero.

Although Ynion was exonerated by the City Prosecutor's Office, he said he is standing by Ocampo and Mejorada in this case. Atty. Rommel Bagares, a former media man himself, has provided free legal services.

Ynion also decried what he described as the oppressive tactics of Mabilog to stifle media criticism. "Mabilog is overly-sensitive because the truth hurts him badly," he said.

Mejorada said he is unperturbed by the latest libel complaint.

"It only shows that my criticisms are hitting a sore nerve," Mejorada, a veteran journalist who has written for national and international news organizations.

These cases will not intimidate him or slow him down, he added.*