by Dave Albarado
Who is really behind The Bohol Monitor (TBM)?
This is a question that begs an answer, as some netizens pose the same question every now and then.
We, at The Bohol Tribune, are asking the same question and are frequently asked the same question: who is behind the “The Bohol Monitor” Facebook page that was and still is in the thick of discussions among several sectors in society, and whose identity as to its real author remains unknown.
Recently and unfortunately, The Bohol Tribune’s name was dragged into the identity of the TBM after netizens started to indicate that the latter has links with the former.
The controversy sparked after the TBM posted on Thursday, March 25, 2021, the mug shot of Emmanuel “Willy” Ramasola, an alleged staunch critic of Gov. Arthur Yap, minutes after Ramasola was arrested by Makati police.
TBM posted a scathing article against Ramasola on Thursday and posted a similar negative article against the alleged critic of the governor on Friday, March 26, 2021.
The page has been allegedly known to be posting articles that are controversial and at times out to hit hardly people like the case of Ramasola.
Netizens who posted their statements on the FB wall of Ramasola commented that TBM is aligned with The Bohol Tribune. Some asked for clarification regarding the people behind the TBM and The Bohol Tribune.
Some netizens are saying that TBM and The Bohol Tribune might be linked as the page was originally created by the Bohol Tribune in 2015 but there was a name change that took place in 2018.
Ramasola even had a post called “crowdsourcing information” about old photographs obtained from one of the photo albums of TBM. One of the photographs grabbed by Ramasola was the photograph of the author of this article, the associate editor of The Bohol Tribune.
The post of Ramasola drew some negative remarks from netizens against personalities of The Bohol Tribune, especially this writer. The remarks issued are malicious, derogatory and defamatory. There were even netizens’ comments glaringly giving the author’s exact address, the route of his daily activities, where he eats, etc., that would certainly give a would-be assassin a good view of where to target his would-be victim. Is this fair?
Another comment posted by a netizen on Ramasola’s wall referred to this writer as a mentally abnormal person who is out of his mind. After reading this particular comment, the parents of this writer who are very senior people, were moved to tears having realized that their son, whom they have treasured their whole life, has been maligned by some vicious individuals out there, who are ready to devour anybody just so their own whims and caprices would be given enough satisfaction for whatever purpose they have.
This writer admits that he is diabetic, hypertensive, and half blind. Name it and he has it. He is waiting for the pandemic to subside in order to have his eyes operated on in Cebu City. The delay is a welcome moment for him so that, in the meanwhile, he is saving enough amount for the operation, itself. He is not asking for donations, nor for any collections from sponsors. In fact, as he goes to his doctor every week, this writer still tells the physician that he will continue to stand, work, write and speak to earn a living and will never use his pen and his voice as a scalpel to “operate on” people for financial remuneration. He does not want to taint his name with any form of moral and spiritual corruption that is very much against his doctrine as a former seminarian and alumnus of the University of Sto. Tomas where he graduated from his Communication degree.
As associate editor of The Bohol Tribune, he is very much surprised why he is castigated by the thousands of fans of a man whom he never met and never knew from Adam. The netizens who violently attacked the personality of this writer never even bothered to examine the veracity of their statements against the identity of TBM. Instead, they posted comments on Ramasola’s wall furiously casting aspersions on The Bohol Tribune and its staff.
People noticed that the comments and the “crowdsourcing information” post were taken down as of Friday afternoon. Whoever did it, I say. “Thank You!” But the damage on my person has already been spread worldwide and maybe to High Heavens where my deceased relatives are happily staying. My parents, sisters and brothers are having anguish and sleepless nights for what has been posted against me.
Who is really the enemy of this writer?
• Is it Mr. Willy Ramasola? I do not even know him personally.
• Are they the fans of Mr. Ramasola? I do not know them, either.
• Is it the administrator/author of TBM? I do not know HIM/HER, too.
My enemy, if there is any, is as deadly as the COVID-19 virus – unknown, invisible and untouchable.
As of the moment, The Bohol Tribune has already taken screenshots of the post and the comments because lawyers who are volunteering assistance to this humble man, led by the Corporation’s Legal Counsel, are now studying the matter very seriously.
We have to put a stop to this grinding malady – FAKE NEWS, FALSE ACCUSATIONS, CHARACTER ASSASSINATION – that try to corrode the moral fiber of society.
But all these will lead us back to the question: WHO REALLY OWNS TBM? We do not wish to ask the motives of the author as those are his/her prerogatives. But if the author’s identity is kept secret to the disadvantage of other people, then, we fully believe that it is inherent upon TBM’s author to come out into the open to shed light on the matter. The Bohol Tribune is now challenging the owner or the administrator of TBM to come out and not hide under the cloak of anonymity.
This writer is also surprised why photographs, logos, and other intellectual properties of The Bohol Tribune are appearing in the TBM? How come the picture of this author was part of the crowdsourcing of information conducted by Willy Ramasola?
OFFICIAL STATEMENT
The Bohol Tribune issued on Friday, an official statement regarding the allegations of a netizen who made a comment on the post of Ramasola in relation to the latter’s libel case.
The statement, signed by The Bohol Tribune’s legal counsel, Atty. Gregorio Austral, CPA, categorically denies the allegation posted by a netizen on a post of Ramasola.
A copy of the statement appears on page 3 of this Sunday’s edition.
The legal counsel warns that any unauthorized use of the name of this newspaper, masthead, logo and all intellectual properties shall be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
CONTROVERSY
Last year, then Bohol police provincial director Col. Jonathan Cabal probed the TBM, according to an article penned by Ven rebo Arigo of the Provincial Information and Media Relations (PRIMER).
In the article, Cabal reportedly ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group based in Camp Dagohoy to investigate TBM in connection with an article about councilors from Antequera town getting into contact with a Covid positive person.
The TBM posted a “breaking news” that seven Antequera councilors “rode the same van with Negros Oriental councilor who died from COVID-19.”
The TBM story was debunked by Antequera councilor Lani Labado who corrected the story by saying the Antequera councilors had their own service van in Manila that transported them from the Manila airport to their hotel. Councilors from Cortes and Maribojoc also rode the same van the Antequera councilors took.
After the story about the investigation on the TBM story broke out, there was no information about what happened to the case.