June 23, 2011 Press Release
Contact: JERRY S. YAP, president of NPC at 09178980988

NPC files sedition rap vs Kalinga gov

The National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) filed last Thursday (June 23, 2011) a criminal case for sedition against Kalinga Gov. Jocel Baac because of his act of hate and revenge against the press.

The NPC insisted that the governor committed a sedition crime under Article 139 of the Revised Penal Code when he smashed a microphone on the mouth of commentator Jerome Tabanganay as the latter was wrapping up “Agenda on Tuesday” radio program inside the announcer’s booth of dzRK in Tabuk, Kalinga last June 7.

[NPC president Jerry S. Yap and DZRK radio commentator Jerome watch as DOJ prosecutor Liwag signs the complaint for sedition as the administering officer.]

This act was done in the full view of listeners who were watching and listening to Tabanganay through www.ustream.tv where the footage of the announcer was being shown while broadcasting on air.

A review of the clip of the footage confirmed that the governor stormed inside the booth, picked up one of the microphones and whacked it to the mouth of the journalist.


[NPC president Jerry S. Yap and DZRK radio commentator Jerome Tabanganay discusses the incident when the latter was assaulted by Kalinga Gov. Jocel Tabanganay as DOJ Senior State Prosecutor Mike Godio listens.]

The governor must have gone mad over the text messages sent to Tabangangay by listeners and read over the radio.

Earlier, the NPC filed before the Office of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III charges of administrative violations of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

These two violations are punishable with dismissal from the service.

Aside from violating his official function with that act of assaulting the press, the same act of Baac put to big shame the Office of the Governor of Kalinga, constituting an offense of Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of Public Service.


[NPC president Jerry S. Yap is being interviewed by ABS-CBN news crew after he filed the sedition rap against Kalinga Gov. Jocel Baac. Jerome Tabanganay, in yellow shirt, listens as Yap justifies the need to file the case to send out a strong message that the press knows how to fight back, too. On June 7, 2011, Baac stormed the announcer's booth of DZRK in Tabuk, Kalinga, picked up the microphone, and smashed it on the mouth of Tabanganay.]

In so filing, the Club pressed that “the conscience of the Liberty of the Press is revolting over the acts that it rose to defend the freedom of the press and of expression,” among the purposes of its creation.

The NPC hopes that with the filing of these administrative cases, it will serve the public good that no other high officials of the government would duplicate or follow the bad example shown by Governor Baac.

The organization that is the biggest and the oldest is also filing a civil suit for damages against Baac, in a cause of action of violating press freedom under Article 32 of the Civil Code of the Philippines and under Section 4 Article 3 of the Constitution, both provisions calls for free exercise of the press.

In the eyes of the NPC, the acts done by the governor is an act of hate or revenge against all in the class of journalists to preserve his political power. As such, these acts qualified to a violation of Article 139 of the Revised Penal Code, particularly the clause that states: “4. To commit, for any political or social end, any act of hate or revenge against private persons or any social class.”