Governor Art Yap’s filing of an inciting to sedition complaint against the chairman of the Bohol Chronicle Radio Corp. (BCRC) and two of the chief executive’s critics is a form of “harassment,” said former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Bohol president and law school dean Tomas Abapo, Jr.   

According to Abapo, the legal action could be construed as harassment considering that Yap, over live radio, said that he filed the complaint to stop the accused from “attacking” his government.

“Naa may istorya na gisulti kuno ni gob na ‘di man gud sila mo undang mao nang gi-file’, so harassment. Og harrassment, di na ni inciting to sedition—inciting to repression nga mag pugong sa mga taw pag sulti sa kahiwian sa usa ka public official,” said Abapo in an interview over station dyRD on Wednesday.

Yap has alleged that former Tagbilaran City mayor Dan Lim, BCRC chair Peter Dejaresco and Makati City-based businessman Willy Ramasola conspired in criticizing him which, he said, could make the public distrust him. The governor filed an inciting to sedition complaint against the three before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office last month.

Dejaresco also downplayed Yap’s allegations as “harassment” and a move intended to silence media, particularly BCRC’s twin media outfits, The Bohol Chronicle and station dyRD which have both exposed alleged anomalies at the Capitol.

In the same radio interview, Abapo commended BCRC for standing up to Yap’s attempts to silence critics.

He said the media outfit merely reported information gathered from sources and did not fabricate these.

“There’s a saying, ‘there are no tyrants if there are no slaves.’ Kung ikaw mo yango dayon, mo amen, naa gyuy mo daog-daog nimo mao ng barugan gyud nato atong katungod basta sa legal na pamaagi…in fact, mo congratulate ko ninyo inyong gibarugan g’yud na,” he said.

Abapo added that conspiracy is difficult to prove, but noted that there have been instances that these were proven depending on the evidence presented.

The law mentor did not comment further on the merits of the case which is still set for preliminary investigation pending the filing of separate counter affidavits by Lim, Dejaresco and Ramasola before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office.