IS BALITA-BEIRNE GROUP HEADING FOR MELTDOWN?

1. IS BALITA-BEIRNE GROUP HEADING FOR MELTDOWN?
Submitted by PinoyWatchDog.com
LOS ANGELES – “I was
forced to write something
that I did not want
to write twice by the
publisher of Balita. Last
year I was asked to do
that again,” confessed
writer-editor David
Casuco of Balita Media
during a press conference
organized by the Media
and Business Club of Los
Angeles on Wednesday at
the Kapistahan Restaurant
in Historic Filipino-town.
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2. Casuco related an incident last year when his independence as an
editor was again put to the test, and he lost because he no longer
belonged to the Balita management’s trusted circle, which includes
Anthony Allen, his wife Luchie Allen, and Rhony Laigo, Balita
executive editor. Casuco has a history of standing for his ethics as a
respected and ethical journalist. In the past, when Balita was
embroiled in the so-called “Dindo Reyes-Michael Gurfinkel
case”, David resigned from Balita, but he was rehired again last
year, after Laigo had been taken in as editor. In the ensuing
reshuffle, Laigo was elevated to the executive editor position even
though Casuco had more seniority and tenure than Laigo.
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3. “Last year,” a visibly tearful Casuco revealed at the press
conference, “It happened again. I was against using a blurb on the
front page of Balita that stated “Is Bander a crook?” He revealed that
Luchie Mendoza-Allen, probably fearing it would bring a libel
lawsuit, agreed with him. “But Rhony Laigo put it back,” Casuco said.
It appears that executive editor Laigo, who prides in calling himself a
“practicing journalist,” is the person that harbors hatred against Atty
Bander.
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4. Casuco vowed that it was his sole decision to attend the press
conference, even saying that he was initially adamant about
pursuing the idea because he thought the staff of
PinoyWatchDog.com would not welcome him. But his principles
won over his fears, and he came. “I’m going to write what I want to
write,” he said. “If the (Balita) organization changes it I’m going to
ask them not to publish it and walk out of there. I will insist that
they don’t change it or I will walk out again.”
He added that he would be the best person to help
PinoyWatchDog.com and Balita to resolve their differences. “If you
want this resolved in a peaceful manner you can use me as a go-
between. There is no need to perpetuate a bad thing.”
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5. Before the surprising revelation by Casuco, community leader and
Tanod Bayan, Inc. President Al Aquino criticized Balita owners
Anthony Allen and Luchie Mendoza-Allen, also the owners of the
Law Office of James P. Beirne. Aquino said that maligning Atty
Bander and the entire staff of PinoywatchDog.com for exposing
them as the owners of the Law Office of Atty Beirne is not good
for the Filipino-American community. “If Beirne is just one of their
advertisers, why are they going to great lengths to defend
him, especially now that he
is facing hundreds of contempt of court charges for deceitful and
fraudulent claims in his advertising?”
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6. Aquino, who is also the executive editor of PinoyWatchDog. com,
announced that he is lodging a complaint with the State Bar of California for
Beirne’s continuing disobedience of Judge Soussan Bruguera’s court order to
desist from “deceptive, misleading and false advertising” for which
violations Beirne is liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and
jail time if found guilty.
A veteran newsman and a former town Mayor and Member of the
Provincial Board in his native province of La Union, Aquino blasted
Balita for a recent editorial which branded Aquino and Rene
Villaroman, PWD Managing Editor, as alter egos of Atty Bander.
“That editorial has insinuated that Bander owns everything and
everyone at PinoyWatchDog.com,” Aquino said. “True, he provides
the financing to print the newspaper, and he even serves as Senior
Columnist for the paper; but is publishing a newspaper a crime in
America?” Aquino asked. “He is being accused by them as a con
man because he pays for the publication of PinoyWatchDog.com.”
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7. “They keep harping that Bander has scammed 800 people. How
come no one has come up and filed a lawsuit against him? How
come he is walking tall and free, and in fact, he is here with us
today?” Can you say the same things for the reclusive Anthony
Allen and Luchie Mendoza-Allen? Have you seen them in public
mingling with Filipino-Americans like what Atty Bander always
does?” But the real truth is that the Allens are the owners of the
Law Office of James P. Beirne that is why they are putting
everything they have to protect Beirne, even in the face of his
hundreds of contempt of court charges.
“Balita should not shoot the messenger. Instead, they should come
out with a credible explanation of what is really happening in their
organization,” Aquino said. “No newspaper would do what Balita is
doing unless what’s happening currently to Beirne is impacting
their ownership interest. This is harmful to the Filipino community
and it must stop.”
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