Naghain ng reklamong cyberlibel o paglabag sa Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 ang Tutok To Win party-list representative at Dear SV host na si Sam Verzosa laban kay Daily Tribune columnist Atty. Star Elamparo.
Isinumite ni Sam ang kanyang reklamo sa Manila City Prosecutor’s Office ngayong Martes ng umaga, Nobyembre 19, 2024.
Nag-ugat ang reklamo ni Sam sa isinulat ni Elamparo sa Runner’s High column nito noong Nobyembre 11.
May pamagat na "Celebrities and cheating at NYCM?", nakasaad dito ang espekulasyong nandaya umano si Sam at ang girlfriend nitong si Rhian Ramos sa New York City Marathon na nilahukan nila sa New York City, USA, noong Nobyembre 3.
Read: Sam, Rhian address cheating allegations at New York City Marathon
“Sa totoo lang, ayoko siyang patulan, pero kailangan may tumindig laban sa mga ganitong klase ng tao. Mga tao na nagkakalat ng paninira, nagkakalat ng fake news,” panimula ni Sam nang humarap siya sa mga miyembro ng media pagkatapos maghain ng kanyang complaint affidavit.
“Sobrang dami ng mga taong tumatawag sa akin at nagsasabi tungkol sa pagkakalat niya ng fake news.
“Ang bilis nga ng vindication sa amin kasi noong siniraan niya kami at naglabas siya ng column against us ni Rhian, na sinisiraan kami dahil nandaya kami sa marathon, after a few days, lumabas agad ang warrant of arrest para sa kanya.
“Nakita ko ang mga mugshot niya. At hindi ko kaso yon, ha?
"Kaso yon ng ibang tao na nagkaso sa kanya ng cyberlibel dahil siniraan niya."
Ang tinutukoy ni Sam ay ang hiwalay na cyberlibel case na isinampa umano laban kay Elamparo sa Cebu City.
Pagpapatuloy niya: “Sabi ko nga, kung kaya niyang gawin sa akin ito at gamitin niya ang kanyang posisyon, ang pagiging abogado, ang pagkakaroon niya ng column sa diyaryo, kaya niyang gawin ito kahit kanino.
“So, papaano po yung mga taong walang kalaban-laban? Sa akin kasi, yung kasinungalingan na sinabi niya, kaya niyang panindigan hanggang dulo."
STAR ELAMPARO STANDS BY HER COLUMN
Sa kabila ng paglabas ni Sam ng buong video ng pagtakbo nila ni Rhian, upang patunayang hindi sila nandaya, nanindigan si Elamparo sa kanyang isinulat.
Inalmahan ito ni Sam.
Aniya, “Pinaninindigan niya hanggang ngayon yung kasinungalingan niya, kahit nag-post na po ako ng buong video ng aking pagtakbo.
“Yung hinahanap niya na nawawala raw na markers, ipinakita ko. Kahit nagpadala na ng email yung New York Marathon organizers, talagang matigas siya. Talagang gusto niyang panindigan.
“Binabaligtad nga po niya. Nagpapaka-victim mode pa na siya raw ang biktima at nato-troll ngayon.
"Paano ka naman hindi kagagalitan ng mga tao, e, naninira ka ng puri at nagkakalat ng fake news?
“Itong kultura na to, sana matigil na kasi ang nangyayari, kapag ito kumalat at sinakyan ng iba, minsan nagiging totoo na.
“Ang hirap na maging ganito ang kultura natin sa Pilipinas. Marami na po ang nasaktan, hindi lang ako."
Pagpapatuloy niya, “Kung ako, okay lang, pero yung mga mahal ko sa buhay, idinamay pa niya si Rhian. Siyempre, mahal ko si Rhian, kailangan kong ipagtanggol, e.
“Ayaw niyang pansinin pero ramdam ko na apektado rin siya, ang pamilya ko, ang nanay ko, ang mga kapatid ko.
"Ang dami niyang nasaktan na mga tao. Lumalaban ako. Kailangan ko silang ipaglaban."
Read: Isko Moreno at Sam Verzosa, di inasahang magkikita sa isang event
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED?
May hinala si Sam na politically motivated ang paninira umano sa kanila ni Rhian.
Si Sam ay tumatakbo bilang mayor ng Manila sa 2025 elections. Mahigpit niyang katunggali ang incumbent mayor na si Honey Lacuna at ang dating mayor na si Isko Moreno.
Ayon kay Sam: “Hindi ko maiaalis sa utak ko na merong nag-motivate para gawin ito sa akin. Hindi malayong isipin na politically motivated yung ginagawa niya sa akin.
“Kung ang pagtakbo lang sa marathon ang puntirya niya, bakit niya ikinokonekta sa pagtakbo ko sa Maynila?
“Naglabas siya na dapat daw, nag-explain ako sa kanya. Bakit ako magpapaliwanag sa yo?
“Baligtad. Dapat bago ka naglabas ng article, as a responsible journalist, nag-reach out ka sa amin. Inalam mo muna yung side namin o kaya nag-reach out ka sa marathon organizers.
“Kapag nakumpirma mo na tama, saka ka maglabas [ng artikulo]. Hindi yung mag-a-accuse ka ng pandaraya tapos ili-link mo pa sa pulitika.
"Masama, masama ito.
“Ang sabi ko nga, this will be the last time I will talk about her. Ayoko nang pag-usapan ito.
"I will let my lawyers deal with this at sana, magsilbi itong lesson sa mga taong may plano pa na manira."
Read: Sam Verzosa, hindi raw gagamitin si Rhian Ramos sa politika
STAR ELAMPARO'S SIDE
Sa November 16 column ni Star Elamparo sa Daily Tribune na may titulong "Clearing the air," ipinaliwanag niya ang kanyang panig tungkol sa isyu.
Ibinahagi rin nito ang mga ginawa niy umanong hakbang upang beripikahin ang mga nakuha niyang impormasyon tungkol sa pagtakbo nina Sam Verzosa at Rhian Ramos sa New York City Marathon.
Bahagi ng column ni Elamparo: "When right after the 9 November New York City Marathon (NYCM), allegations of cheating by a certain couple quickly began circulating on Reddit and various runners group chats, I decided to look into the matter.
"The first thing I accessed was the NYCM app, which records the splits of all the runners. Based on the splits of the runners I tracked, there were mile markers almost every three miles. This means that runners pass through timing mats almost every three miles to ensure that they stay in the race course — and not ride the train or employ some other means to get to the finish line.
"Persons who do these are called “ninjas” by runners because they don’t actually run the entire route but somehow show up at the finish line. Unfortunately, it happens every now and then during races.
"When I accessed the couple’s publicly available NYCM record, I saw that they had identically missing splits representing three-mile markers. According to New York Road Runners (NYRR) rules, having missing splits is a ground to disqualify a runner.
"A check of the NYRR website yielded similarly baffling information. The couple were the 55,265th and 55,266th finishers. I randomly checked on at least five runners who had longer finish times than the couple and these runners had complete splits.
"The timing mats ordinarily stay in place during the duration of the race. Since the NYCM cut-off time was 10 p.m. and the couple finished before 8 p.m., there was no reason for me to suppose that the timing mats had been removed by the time the couple were alleged to have crossed those mile markers."
Iginiit din ni Elamparo na hindi niya direkang inakusahan ng pandaraya sina Sam at Rhian.
Aniya, "Thus in my column, I noted it was “curious” that the couple had missing mile markers. I further said that “if allegations are proven true,” this may be a case of cheating.
"I then emphasized that, ordinarily, an investigation would be conducted by the race organizer.
"Finally, in my last sentence I said: This column will be open to any response from Mr. Verzosa and Ms. Ramos.
"Verily, I did not state as a matter of fact that the couple had cheated but only raised the possibility based on publicly available information.
"In the aftermath, people sent me records of other runners which show similar missing splits. I was also sent a video showing snippets of the couples’ run where at one point they passed the 20 mile marker — one of the missing splits.
"Finally, I was repeatedly sent copies of a supposed email sent by NYRR to Ms. Rhian Ramos stating: “It looks like both you and Samuel fell behind the sweep and the timing points at 30km, 20 miles and 35km were removed from the course as the streets reopened before you passed through. In Central Park, we can stay open longer, so you were picked up at 40km… We certainly are not holding those timing points against you; you are still both listed as official finishers.” It was signed by a certain Tom.
"In an Instagram post that Ms. Ramos has since deleted, she said that: “I emailed New York Road Runners to ask why three of our splits are missing… Here’s their response (referencing a screenshot of the supposed email). (Yup! Fact checking is that easy!)
"Unfortunately, I have sent three emails to NYRR but I have only received two automated responses complete with reference no. (!00D150EWYO.!) and the NYRR logo, the last one stating: “This is an automated email to notify you that we’ve received your inquiry. A member of our team will respond as soon as possible. Please note that our regular business hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday. Thanks and happy running.” The email was signed by the NYRR Race Scoring Team.
"I have likewise tried to reach the NYRR through the phone number indicated on its website but the response was similarly automated.
"While neither of the couple has sent any response to this column or this newspaper, both have responded on social media and Mr. Verzosa held a press conference on Thursday, the full clip of which I posted in my social media account.
"Friends of the couple have also posted and one even reached out via messenger attesting that they finished the marathon fair and square.
"I have no personal interest in discrediting either of the couple and sincerely hope this clears the air. As our Supreme Court has time and again said in relation to public figures who have been subjected to the harshest of criticisms, nothing assuages better than the balm of a clear conscience."