IT HAS COME to our attention that you have published an article headlined Pastor nabbed for ‘homicide try, libel’ that appeared on your website www.panaynews.net dated 25 February 2021 and written by Cyrus Garde.
The same article, also written by Cyrus Garde, was the banner headline on the same day in your print version with the identical title. I quote the story below in full:
“BACOLOD City – Facing frustrated homicide and libel charges, a church pastor was arrested in Barangay Estefania. Resident Reuben Macaya, 56, was caught on the strength of an arrest warrant around 6:45 p.m. on Feb. 23. However, Macaya claimed he was not feeling well and asked to be taken to the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center in Barangay Taculing. Officers of Police Station 4 placed the suspect under hospital arrest. A P60,000 bail bond was recommended for his temporary liberty.”
I take exception to the headline and content of this article on the following grounds:
1. That it is factual error that I am facing a “homicide try” case. It should be noted that nowhere in the police blotter report issued by Bacolod Police Station 4 mentioned that I was arrested in a homicide case but rather in two counts of Libel.
Attached herewith is a copy of the police blotter report issued by Bacolod Police Station 4 hereby marked as Annex “A” to show that indeed there was no homicide case.
Attached also are two orders of provisional release for Criminal Case 6505 and Criminal Case No. 6506 signed by Regional Trial Court Branch 63 Judge Cyclamen Fernandez in La Carlota City, hereby marked a.5 Annexes “B” and “B-1”.
Note that again, there was no case for homicide or attempted homicide but, instead, for two counts of libel. That Garde or your editors failed to quote the source/s of their report (as a real journalist would do) to the extent that they caused to tarnish my name as a Pastor and as a human being, the serious accusation of “homicide try” depicted that I, as a Pastor who preaches the word of God, has a criminal instinct “to kill”; neither was the detail of such homicide case provided, including case numbers, name/s of complainant and brief circumstances of the supposed case as expected from a reputable news agency as yours. It can be adduced that the report published was based on hearsay and not on actual facts.
2. That it is a factual error that the officers of Police Station 4 placed the suspect under hospital arrest. If Garde or your editors were diligent enough, they would have known that the arresting officers were members of the La Carlota Police Office and not the officers of Bacolod City Police Station 4, the latter merely had the arrest recorded, considering the fact that the arrest was made within the territorial jurisdiction of Bacolod City.
That Garde or your editors failed to verify the correctness of the facts, it has been a one-sided publication, disregarding my side of the story.
I request therefore, the following in the spirit of Christianhood:
1. That Panay News cause Mister/Miss Garde to publish an article rectifying the apparent error and include in this follow up article the source of Garde who claimed that a “homicide try” case exist; and
2. That Panay News and Mister/Miss Garde issue an apology to be published on the front page of its print version and on the home section of its online version for besmirching the reputation of Pastor Macaya.
May I further ask that Panay News reserve for me three copies of its 25 March 2021 publication circulated in Bacolod on that day. Thank you and may Panay News listen to this plea. – PASTOR REUBEN MACAYA, Bacolod City
