Will the legal dispute over who will manage El Nuevo Bantay Radyo be settled out of court?
Sarraga Integration and Management (SIAM) Broadcasting Corp., which owns the network of AM radio stations, and Cebu CFI Cooperative said they are willing to go into arbitration proceedings to resolve the dispute.
But Pafi Foundation, which has managed the radio stations for 12 years, doesn’t agree.
Judge Alexander Acosta of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 9 yesterday set a hearing on August 5 to determine whether there is a need for SIAM, CFI, and Pafi Foundation to engage an arbiter to work out their differences.
Pafti Foundation earlier went to court to stop the cooperative from taking over the management of El Nuevo Bantay Radyo after the contract ends on July 31.
The judge said he would rule on this by August 1.
Pafi Foundation through its chief executive officer, Cebu Provincial Board (PB) Member Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero, asked the court to order SIAM to keep its word and renew the management contract with her family-run foundation based on their earlier verbal agreement to extend the arrangement.
She said she deposited P700,000 in SIAM’s account as initial payment for the contract renewal. Zaballero attended the hearing yesterday with cousin Yody Sanchez, councilor of barangay Busay.Their lawyer Magnificus Cañete said SIAM’s plea should be dismissed.
SIAM lawyer Michael Florentino Dumlao III said court arbitration should have been explored before the case was filed in court.
Cebu CFI lawyer Lito Astilero said the cooperative already spent P5 million to acquire equipment and prepare the radio station to be managed by the coop starting August 1.
SIAM lawyer Dumlao said Pafi Foundation “owes us at least P2 million” and failed to pay or remit the agreed guaranteed income for a minimum of eight months.