Another High-Society Scandal

She went around town cursing everybody.

A high-society matron got the ire of many newspaper and radio editors after they refused to write a malicious story written by her which tried to attack her cousins, owners of a popular brand of disinfectants.

This matron, a wife of a businessman, owns an events and entertainment agency. She was able to form her own company after a serious and scandalous rift with her brother. Her brother is known in industry circles as the one who was able to swindle another popular entertainment company owned by a wealthy and highly-influential Chinese family. The Chinese businessman sued her brother and the case is now pending before the courts.

Talk about a swindling family.

Anyway, this girl got a sizeable sum of money from her old and ailing father, and she used it to form that agency. Word gets around that she needs more money to sustain her business. The agency is fast losing money due to (as some quarters say) mismanagement. She can't keep up because her events are not earning enough money.

That's why when a case filed by her father lost in the courts, she went around media circles trying to prevent the news from spreading. Reason is simple--if their family lose the case, she loses that one chance to partake of the alleged "proceeds" from the case.

Sadly, it did lose because the evidence that their lawyers presented in court, it turned out, showed nothing irregular nor illegal. Her father reportedly signed a legal document which showed that he sold his stake in a company which he previously headed without being forced to.

So, a few days ago, this matron tried to throw her weight around some newspaper editors and even radio reporters. When she heard over the radio that the case lost, the Matron reportedly called desk editors and reporters covering the case. She tried to force them to write a story which deviates from the court decision.

After reading the story, the reporters refused to write the story. “ Hindi naman kasi tama yung pinasusulat sa amin, kaya hindi namin ginawa yung gusto niya. Kasinungalingan kasi yung nandun sa statement” says one of the reporters who covers the court hearings.

Failing to get the reporters and editors to her side, the Matron reportedly cursed them and threatened the journalists with harm. She also allegedly tried to bribe the journalists, but all refused.

“ Minura-mura kami na kala mo kung sino umasta. Di niya kami kayang pasulatin ng mga kasinungalian laban sa ibang tao. Di ba siya nahihiya na `may pinag-aralan naman siya, pagka umasta siya, akala mo kung sinong galing sa squatter”, says one editor who requested anonymity for fears of more curses and disturbing calls from the Matron.

She also reportedly went to a major radio station and asked that they embargo the story. She also talked with a publisher who granted her request not to print stories involving the case.

She also allegedly tried to force radio reporters covering the justice beat to report her libelous statement.

A complaint is being readied against her before the National Press Club (NPC), an organization of all journalists in the Philippines.

In an interview, an NPC official said that the Matron violated the journalist’s rights of free expression. “ When she tried to dictate what she wants to be published to a journalist, she is violating the right of that journalist. It is unethical. Journalists should write fairly and judiciously. Likewise, she should not have tried to bribe them. No one will accept a bribe among us,” says the official who refused to print his name for fear of retaliation from the Matron.

This blog is open for the Matron's side.