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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Be man enough,' Adiong tells broadcaster Celiz

'Be man enough,' Adiong tells broadcaster Celiz

Published Apr 24, 2025 03:50 pm

At A Glance

  • Instead of seeking sanctuary or asylum in another country, Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) program anchor Jeffrey Celiz should drop his "cowardly" tactics and just "man up".

20250424_232556.jpgLanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left), Jeffrey Celiz (PPAB)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of seeking sanctuary or asylum in another country, Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) program anchor Jeffrey Celiz should drop his "cowardly" tactics and just "man up".

Thus, said House "Young Guns" bloc member Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, who pointed out that nobody was persecuting Celiz in the Philippines, anyway.

“He should be man enough to face his charges here. Nobody is persecuting him. I just want to remind him that he should not be too conscious of his rights as a person and as a journalist,” Adiong said of Celiz, who is identified with the Duterte family.

Celiz is reportedly planning to seek sanctuary in the United Sates (US) and apply for asylum in nearby Canada.

Celiz, along with fellow anchor Lorraine Badoy, and lawyer Israelito Torreon, counsel for detained Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) were among the individuals charged in an inciting to sedition case filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in relation to the serving of arrest warrants against Quiboloy at the KOJC compound last August.

The case has been submitted for resolution to prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DoJ).

“Mr. Celiz has been accused of violating the law, and now that he is being given the chance to defend himself, he will just run away, evade and seek asylum? I think only cowards do that," said Adiong, a House assistant majority leader.

"He should also be aware about the accompanying responsibilities of being a media practitioner...We have so many responsible journalists here fighting it out with their perceived and alleged tormentors. Why can’t he? What makes him so special?" asked the Young Gun.

"Is it because he has more resources than his other media colleagues here? One can only think of perhaps the vast resources he has for him to be able to live in upscale New York,” he also wondered.

Adiong says Celiz can't invoke persecution simply "because it isn’t so". 

"Our country is one of Asia’s freest—if not the freest—when it comes to the press. Our netizens have demonized so many. So, there is no basis for him to say that. It is unfounded, to say the least,” insisted the Mindanaoan. 

“He was more than free to criticize the government. We had no problem about that. But when he crossed the line, he should have been responsible and brave enough to face the consequences. And if he feels he has nothing to hide, then why seek foreign sanctuary?” he asked. 

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zia alonto adiong asylum SMNI Jeffrey Celiz
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