After nearly 2 years, ex-Davao radioman freed

(Update) MANILA, Philippines - After nearly two years behind bars, a former radio anchorman of Bombo Radyo Davao convicted of libel was released Tuesday from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm. Bombo Radyo reported that Alexander Alex Adonis left his cell at the penal farm in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, at 1:35 p.m. Tuesday. The report quoted Adonis as saying he plans to rest and spend time with his family but will return to his work as a broadcaster. Adonis added that his release from jail, which stemmed from a libel case filed against him by now House Speaker Prospero Nograles, is the best Christmas gift for him. Jail time for libel The former radio anchorman landed in jail after reading over his program a tabloid article claiming that Nograles was caught with his pants down while running away from the husband of an alleged mistress, Jeanette Leuterio, inside a Manila hotel. Nograles then filed a libel case against Adonis, which ended in Adonis' conviction. He was arrested by the police in the Bangkerohan Public Market of Davao City while he was visiting his mother on February 19, 2007. Paroled but in jail In December, 2007, the Justice department's Board of Pardons and Parole granted Adonis parole. Under the Indeterminate Sentence Law, a convict who has served the minimum term for his conviction can be set free on parole. However, this was not personally communicated to Adonis because the jail warden at the jail facility "did not bother to share this information with Alex Adonis," Adonis' lawyer Harry Roque said. To make things worse for Adonis, Leuterio filed a separate libel complaint against Adonis in May 2008. And under the law, a convict can be disqualified from getting a parole if he has another pending case in court. The Davao Regional Trial Court Branch 14 hearing Adonis's second libel case issued a release order for the jailed broadcaster in May after he posted a P5,000 bail. However, the Davao penal farm's director, Venancio Tesoro, refused to release Adonis and insisted that the DOJ had erred when it granted parole for Adonis. According to Nograles, the court dismissed Leuterio's case against Adonis two weeks ago after she withdrew her charge. In a press statement released Tuesday, Nograles said he has already "made [his] point" when Adonis was convicted so he helped National Press Club president Benny Antiporda convince Leuterio to withdraw the libel case she filed against Adonis. Nograles added that he "personally appealed" to the DOJ to grant parole to Adonis. "What our media groups do not understand is that there are two libel cases filed against Alex Adonis which explains his extended incarceration even after he was paroled. He was convicted for the libel case that I filed but the case filed my Ms. Leuterio was only decided two weeks ago," Nograles said. "My family and that of Ms. Leuterio are the victims here but I have long forgiven him (Adonis). I'm happy that through the help of the NPC, we were able to convince Ms. Leuterio to do the same in the spirit of Christmas. I'm glad that this is over now," Nograles added. - GMANews.TV