By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella, who is running for Bacolod City lone district congressman in the upcoming 2019 midterm elections, recently filed libel charges against radio broadcaster Marlon Solidum and DYRL Abyan Radyo-Bacolod Station Manager Diego Obido over allegedly libelous statements made last September.

Solidum is also a candidate in the upcoming polls, running for a seat on the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod as a part of incumbent Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s Grupo Progreso (GP) slate.

According to an affidavit filed earlier this month, during the radio station’s “Tigbatas” program, Solidum allegedly made several negative and malicious comments about the former mayor, including the term “Manico (‘Money Ko’).”

The program also discussed a story involving Puentevella attending a wake where GP members were also present.

“The utterances made by [Solidum] had no factual basis,” the congressional aspirant stated.

He went on to call the broadcaster’s comments “highly speculative” and were meant to “spite and destroy” his name.

During the said broadcast, Solidum admitted to not being present for the aforementioned wake, prompting Puentevella to claim he “vividly made up his story.”

“All he did was to speculate and interpret, and disrespect the occasion,” the former mayor added.

The affidavit claims the respondents were motivated by bad faith in broadcasting and the comment made, which were also posted on social media, were intended to defame, embarrass, and discredit Puentevella.

The said affidavit has since been forwarded to the Office of the City Prosecutor in Bacolod City.

Watchmen Daily Journal tried contacting Solidum for reaction, but he has yet to respond./DGB, WDJ