Libel counter. Faculty members of the University of the Philippines Mindanao filed on Thursday their counter affidavit at the City Prosecutor’s office in Davao City, on the libel complaint filed against them. (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY – University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) professors and faculty members filed their counter affidavit against the libel complaint filed by former UPMin Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA) Professor Karen Joyce Cayamanda, before City Prosecutor’s office, Thursday afternoon.
Professor Andrea Malaya Ragragio, president of the UP Mindanao Academic and Employees Union, together with 18 other respondents filed the counter affidavit, said that the affidavit-complaint was “baseless”.
“We think the libel charge was baseless. We fight for academic freedom. The university is worthless without freedom of expression,” she said.
Ragragio said that the libel complaint against them was based on the “Statement of Defense for the Spirit Opened by the Faculty Assembly of 30 July 2015, A Collective Declaration on the State of UP Mindanao at Present, and A Call for Leadership Changes in Key Administrative Positions” submitted during a dialogue with the Chancellor on July 9, 2015 which is signed by 8 faculty members.
Another basis is from the “Open Letter Expressing Strong Objection to the Membership of Prof. Karen Joyce Cayamanda in the Search Committee for UP Mindanao Chancellor” dated December 8, 2015 which has been emailed to “all UPMin units” with 19 names of faculty members on it.
A copy of the affidavit of complaint filed by Cayamanda on February 8 this year stated that “the emails and attachments would really show defamatory statements, character assassination and humiliating statements against me.”
Part of the July 9 statement, which is highlighted on the affidavit-complaint, stated the “Two Basic Ills of our Campus at Present” where Cayamanda’s office, VCAA, was mentioned of having “a pervading sense of collusion of irregular ends.”
The affidavit-complaint also pointed out that on the 5th page of the July 9 statement, “the signatories therein in general terms concluded that I have been called as the ‘central figure accountable’ for many of the cases ‘of institutional dysfunctions and mockery of academic excellence’.”
The respondents of the affidavit-complaint are Pedro A. Aviola, Ph.D., Thaddeus R. Acuña, Prof. Ricardo M. de Ungria, Leo Manuel B. Estaña, Ruth Gamboa, Ph. D., Jean Marie V. Juanga, Nikko L. Loarden, Kenette Jean Millondaga, Antonio G. Moran, Ph. D., Prof. Emmanuel S. Nabayra, Cleto L. Nañola, Jr.,Ph.D., Harvey M. Niere, Nilo B. Oponda, Ph.D., Dan Jezreel A. Orendain, Myfel Joseph D. Paluga, Prof. Raymundo R. Pavo, Andrea Malaya M. Ragragio, Ryan C. Songcayauon, and Sheila Mae G. Tampos.
Ragragio maintained that “all our points (in the statement) are backed with our experiences as teachers and administrators.”
Atty. Joel Mahinay, the respondents’ counsel, said the group was notified about the affidavit-complaint last March.
In a statement, the group said that the libel complaint “sends a chilling message that we can no longer speak up, lest we be faced with a court charge.”
“It is therefore imperative that this culture of litigation be halted in its tracks. we urged the public to be vigilant regarding this case,” the statement added. (davaotoday.com)
