David Casuco, a writer and editor for Balita Media, revealed at a press conference that he has faced pressure to publish articles against his will. Specifically, last year the executive editor Rhony Laigo insisted on running a headline calling a lawyer a "crook" despite Casuco's objections. Casuco vowed to refuse publishing anything he disagrees with and may resign. Community leader Al Aquino criticized Balita's defense of lawyer James Beirne, arguing they must be connected since Balita is going to great lengths to protect Beirne who faces contempt of court charges. Aquino announced filing a complaint with the California bar against Beirne for disobeying court orders regarding false advertising

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4. 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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5. 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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6. “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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7. 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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8. 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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9. 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.
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10. 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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11. “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.
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12. “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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