The fight is heating up. Sec. Esperanza Cabral is just starting her vengeance. Yet blogger Ella Ganda is not bucking down.
It all started when Ella shared her grave concern over her blog on October 2009 about so many relief goods stagnated or the words she preferred to use was “rotting” on a DSWD warehouse, the lack of volunteers and the inefficiency of the then DSWD Sec. Esperanza Cabral (now secretary of the Department of Health) on handling the relief operation of the government while millions of Filipinos are languishing over the fury of Typhoon Ondoy. But the secretary though also admitted that there was indeed an overflowing of relief good on their warehouse with even President Arroyo herself getting angry for seeing stagnated relief caravans in the Palace premises instead moving out to affected areas.
But as the present administration has made a great name out of itself being over allergic against public scrutiny and accountability, Cabral retaliated by saying that she and her department was gravely abused by Ella and defamed despite of their best efforts to work “around the clock”. She then asked the legal department of DSWD to study the filing of libel case against the blogger; and most recently the National Bureau of Investigation filed a libel case against Ella Ganda in behalf of the Sec. Cabral.
Cabral certainly shamed herself and created a great disaster out of her move to run after a blogger who shared her sentiments and great concern as a responsible citizen during a time when thousands of fellow Filipinos were hungry, homeless, and helpless against the fury of an angered nature.
I can somewhat remember when a province in Taiwan(?) was hit by a strong typhoon while its administrator was having dinner at an expensive hotel celebrating an anniversary (brings back the memory of GMA’s million-peso dinners). The disaster left many people homeless, with deaths recorded and the cry for accountability echoed from the hoarse voices of victims. The leader has lost face that he chose to resign from his post and literally bowed down on his knees to the people asking for their forgiveness for his inefficiency as a public servant during a time of disaster.
Unfortunately, Sec. Cabral has chosen the path to scourge people who are actively engaging in the democratic processes of the governance of our country, instead of being humble enough to admit that public good and welfare is far more superior than individual pride. She rather chose to cloth herself with a vindictive spirit and ran after those who speak of the truth for the sake of freedom, responsibility and accountability of public officials to its citizens, sending the obvious message that bloggers will not just walk away unpunished from bureaucrats – who will use the power of the state against its own people.
She may look stupid when this case is eventually heard in court, but who knows, when the court tilts to her side, this case will cause a legal precedent against all bloggers and social media users.
This move by Sec. Cabral is like hanging a Damocles sword on all bloggers and netizens who will attempt to raise inconvenient questions against public officials and scrutinize any moves of government agencies. Sec. Cabral, pissed off with the stir she caused, even called Ella with these words,
We do not deserve this demolition job that was started by some publicity hungry bimbo that is now being gleefully carried forward by all sorts of characters of dubious motivation and media outfits who have seen a chance to yet attack a government that they do not like.
Bloggers should therefore stand up as one and protect the inherent rights of everyone to freedom of expression, adherence to the truth and upright governance, and accountability of public servants to its people.
Only a state of dictatorship permits this brazen kind of bullying of a public official.
What is your opinion of Sec. Cabral filing and using the power of the government on filing charges against Ella Ganda? Any implications on blogging that you can see with this legal move by the government against a blogger? What should bloggers do as a response to this issue?
jan geronimo (6)
MinnieRunner (6)
Archon Digital (5)
Jhay (4)
Luke (3)
jan geronimo
1 month ago
The secretary sued Ella Ganda for libel and promptly called her a bimbo? Oh dear, this is highly amusing. Can we not call our public officials to account for their official conduct while in office? Sino ba mga ito? Sacred cows? Mga anak ng Diyos? Be careful, bro. The same taxes you shell out to keep this government afloat can now be used to stifle your voice as an advocate of good governance. Libel, my foot.
elmot
1 month ago
Yes Bro, this is the public official that is being paid out of our sweat and blood and only call bloggers like Ella a “publicity hungry bimbo”.
And take note, she furthered her vindictive actions against this fellow blogger by using the machinery and power of the government…
jan geronimo
1 month ago
I dunno. But shouldn’t public officials have more forbearance and humility? If you let loose the apparatus of the state on every person or groups that take you to task, what time will you have left for the effective discharge of your duties as a public servant? What are you in public service for then? Has good governance become solely a matter of gaining good buzz and publicity and less about accountability?
elmot
1 month ago
Precisely Bro, if you don’t have the tenacity to accept the fact that you will always be under the scrutiny of the public eye, better yet resign and become your own boss where your subordinates or anyone cannot question your every move.
Public governance has come this low that good public leadership is all about good public relations and not the active engagement of the people and public servants no matter how fierce it could be for the sake of the common good.
We pay them through our taxes to serve us and not to persecute us.
Marlene
1 month ago
The rotten relief goods had come out in the open, that’s why it stinks in the DSWD premises, lol! And one blogger found out the stinking. Because of this, she’s being sued? Oh, c’mon! Why don’t they just clean and make it right.
elmot
4 weeks ago
The DSWD is not used to people pointing out to them that some of their items are already stinking, maybe they are more comfortable working on warehouse smelling like dead fish?
Mang Jose
4 weeks ago
I known Ella for 6 years, and she’s not a “publicity hungry bimbo” … coz she still wants to remain Unknown..
elmot
4 weeks ago
Tumpak! If she is a publicity bimbo should have flaunted her face and full identity. I know who is the real publicity bimbo…those who are desperate to get back the eroded trust ratings of people.
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Aldo
4 weeks ago
I’m with @Mang Jose, Shes really not a “publicity hungry bimbo”, I’ve known her for 4 yrs. and I guess the hungry one is sec. Cabral, She filed a libel case where in the truth came out and it was not libelous at all because its the truth…
Her excuse was that they do not go to areas wherein “private” donors are already en-route. If DSWD did their job this wouldn’t have happened.
elmot
3 weeks ago
That is the problem with DSWD, when someone speaks out of the truth for the common good, they retaliate and sue people…
They were just caught really with their incompetence.
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pEDo
3 weeks ago
It is really sad to know that our Public officials, those whom we have elected to serve our country, and those on the public posts who should be serving the people have been so full of pride that they’d think they are gods unworthy of criticisms.
The administrator in Taiwan is a good example of a leader after losing his face before his people, was still so brave to step and bow down to admit his accountability.
elmot
3 weeks ago
That is the chronic illness of public governance of the Philppines: people are not held accountable for all their incompetence and abuse, with the opposite happening…people are instead being harassed by these public officials.
Thanks for the comment Pedo!
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MinnieRunner
3 weeks ago
Ano ba ‘yan Elmot, kumukulo na naman ang dugo ko, LOL!
First of, let us define libel. Libel is a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person. Oh, eh bakit? False ba ‘yun? Ella had her proof, may pictures db? Ano ang false dun? Eh kahit nga kamo si PGMA nagalit dahil nabubulok dun ung mga relief goods habang nagugutom ang mga nasalanta ng bagyo.
BOOOO!!!
elmot
3 weeks ago
O ang dugo mo Minnie, wahahha! Nakakabaliw talaga tong DSWD!
Tawagin natin si Doc Z? Mukang na highblood ka na…hehehe!
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Luke
2 weeks ago
This case won’t prosper in court for the simple reason that Sec. Cabral holds a public office and is not a private person. Different rules apply to each. As a Solicitor General observed, public officials should not be onion-skinned. A public official is a property of the public.
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elmot
2 weeks ago
Woah! Missed you Luke! How are you doing?
I totally agree with that analysis Bro. They have totally forgotten that they are public servants and the citizens are endowed with the right to scrutinize them. And I think more than that too, Ella Ganda never had the intention on her blog post to put malice against Sec. Cabral, one grave ground for filing a libel.
The issue that the blogger raised was a public issue worthy of public discussion and criticisms at the same time.
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Luke
2 weeks ago
I’m fine here, bro. Missed chatting with all of you at this blog’s water cooler, too.
What you said above is true. But maybe they think of themselves as public masters instead of public servants?
elmot
2 weeks ago
I am happy to know that you are doing great…Yeah, missed all those chatting moments here on my blog and that of Jan. All of us are certainly so preoccupied already with so many things.
Send my regards to Dee, please, you Jedi Knight Luke, ehehhehe!
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Mitch
1 week ago
I was wondering what Jan was; how do you get to call someone a bimbo while suing for libel? I’m thinking that if your courts are legitimate that this suit will be thrown out pretty quickly. Criticism of the political system is justified, and in this case, it sounds like Ganda was absolutely correct. In the U.S., that would be a slam dunk win.
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elmot
1 week ago
Precisely Mitch! What credence can the court give to a public official who is suing someone for libel and then calls that same person a bimbo.
Thanks for comment
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