Radio blocktimer plans to file case against Capitol exec

A Cebu-based radio anchor said he plans to file  charges against the Cebu provincial administrator for denying his written request for a certified true copy of a Capitol consultant’s contract.

“According to my lawyer, we will be charging Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino with  violating the Anti-Red Tape Act,” radio anchor Oscar Pasaporte of dyCM told Cebu Daily News yesterday.

Under Sec. 8 on Accessing Frontline Services, all applications or requests to a government office shall be acted on no longer than five working days for simple transactions and 10 days for complex ones.

Any denial of the request  has to be fully explained in writing and state  the grounds.

Tolentino turned down the block-timer’s   Sept. 23 request for a certified copy of the former consultancy contract of Rocelyn Zosa, who is now an executive assistant of Gov. Hilario Davide III and OIC of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO.)

In his written reply,  the administrator said he learned that  the radio anchor had been attacking  Zosa, Jone Sepe of the General Services Office, and himself on air and  had clear intent of using the document to “further malign” them.

Pasaporte   anchors the program Vigilante on radio dyCM and has  a blocktime program on radio dyRF on weekdays.

Before joining dyCM in 2013, Pasaporte said he worked in El Nuevo Bantay Radyo, a network managed by PB Member Gigi Sanchez.

In last Monday’s Provincial Board’s (PB) regular session, where the incident was brought up by PB Member Arleigh Sitoy, Tolentino said he  respects the right of freedom of information but after being attacked on air, believes there had to be “limits” set.

Tolentino admitted he was acting on the assumption that Pasaporte would use the  contract for more attacks gainst him and his colleagues.

Tolentino said he would have easily given the document if someone else had asked for it.

Pasaporte in an interview yesterday admitted that he did “attack” Tolentino on air  on issues involving the bidding process and later a Nov. 9  memo  issued by Tolentino with guidelines on the handling of requests for information and release of documents by Capitol officials, and employees.

The anchorman said he was neither for nor against the Davide administration.

“It’s something between me and Mark,” said Pasaporte, but would not elaborate.

According to Capitol sources, the on-air attacks and request to get hold of the consultant’s contract was related to the status of Pasaporte’s wife, who was dismissed for performance issues as a  casual in the governor’s office.

In a text message yesterday, Tolentino said he wasn’t  surprised by the radio commentantor’s plan to file a case.

“I’m not surprised. He had been making such insinuations anyway,” he said.

The administrator, who was out on official business, said he would give  clearer picture of his side of the story once he returns tomorrow.

Tolentino stood by the November 9 memorandum he issued to  all Capitol department heads and employees reminding them of  existing rules on handling requests for inofrmation and documents, and requiring them to be made in writing. Tolentino said the  protocol is a watered-down version of a memo issued in 2010 by former governor Gwendolyn Garcia, which earlier required  all requests for documents to be approved by the Provincial Legal Office.

Today, only the department heads have to  approve written requests, said Tolentino.The releases should also be reported to the governor’s office.

During Tolentino’s appearance in the session last Monday, PB Member Arleigh Sitoy said he worried that the policy would  lead to the  outright dential of the  public’s right to information.

Tolentino said he still believes a balance must be made  in freedom of information and protecting the government as an institution.

“I don’t see any reason to lift it at the moment. It is even more lenient than the previous one. And it is directed to our personnel to ensure that there is clearance from their head,” Tolentino said yesterday.