THE former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman, Francis N. Tolentino, has filed a libel case against radio-television host Ted Failon before the Tagaytay City Prosecutor’s Office for “several malicious TV and radio reports that besmirched the reputation” of the former traffic czar.
In a statement, the former MMDA chief said Failon (real name Mario Etong), who has been “attacking personally Chairman Tolentino for the past five years,” apparently “went overboard” with allegations of graft concerning second- hand big motorcycles acquired by the agency during his term.
Tolentino said Failon “caused the broadcast solely and persistently through his radio program (on dzMM), ‘TV Patrol’ slots, and ‘Failon Ngayon’ TV segment [on ABS-CBN] daily for several weeks last December 2016, his own personally initiated reports” about the motorcycles.
Tolentino said he was able to prove that the procurement of the big motorcycles used during the Papal Visit and several other events “did not involve government funds and that some were in fact eventually donated” by the former MMDA chairman.