‘Eat Bulaga’ case reminds me of Iloilo’s News Express

By Alex P. Vidal

“A brainy person does not abuse copyright; instead they respect it and uphold it.”— Maximillian Degenerez

IN June 1988 or 35 years ago, the late publisher Inocencio “Pops” Malones decided to temporarily change the name of our Iloilo weekly publication from News Express to Fortune News because of a conflict in the paper’s trademark.

Our former editor, the late Ben Palma, bolted from the management and formed his own version of “News Express”.

Palma sought a court junction claiming he owned the paper’s trademark and asked Malones to “cease and desist” from using the name News Express.

The original and intact News Express first rolled off the press in February 1988 with Malones (publisher), Palma (editor and columnist), Agnes Españo (managing editor), Femia Pedregosa and Jing Torres (editorial staff), Monching Vego (business manager), Giovannie Va-ay (circulation manager). Then Maasin vice mayor and future mayor Mariano Malones, Pops’ nephew, was the operation manager.

Pet (Atty. Teopisto Melliza), the paper’s second editor, and I joined the paper in March 1988.

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After only several issues in April and May, Palma and the paper’s management had a disagreement that resulted in Palma jumping off the fence to publish his own version of News Express.

Unlike in the Eat Bulaga imbroglio where Tito Vic and Joey continued to use the noontime show’s trademark name after they left GMA Network and transferred to TV5, it was publisher Pops Malones who agreed to take two steps backward by temporarily changing the paper’s name to Fortune News (from the name of Fortune Printing Press, the Malones clan’s crown glory in Davao and Iloilo).

We had to temporarily change our press ID and calling cards. Ninety percent of advertisers stayed with the new kid in town, Fortune News.

Palma only managed to maneuver and transfer the bulk of Land Transportation Office (LTO) public notice publication advertisements from the original 14-paged “News Express, the Best Alternative” to his new anemic six-paged “News Express.”

The court battle for the rightful ownership of News Express as a trademark became inevitable.

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Pops Malones was represented in court by future Antique judge Neri Duremdes and the late lawyer Oligario “Oling” Santisteban. Palma was represented by an Atty. Palomado.

As a successful major player in the printing industry, Pops Malones could afford to let go of the struggling publication, which wasn’t yet profitable if he wanted to avoid a headache and a collision course with the putschist.

But the well-loved publisher, then in his 90s, didn’t want us to lose our jobs. Thus, Pops Malones dug deep into his pockets and soldiered on.

To make the long story short, Palma’s usurpation of the name News Express became short-lived.

The court ruled in Pops Malones’ favor and the original News Express family managed to regain the invaluable trademark, including the publication of the controversial LTO ads.

Palma was forced to abolish his paper and moved to the now defunct The Sentinel with his original pals the late Dean Art Jimenez, Manuel “Boy” Mejorada, and fellow chess champion Romeo “Butch” Paloma IV.

The saga in Eat Bulaga is more complicated. Joey de Leon claims ownership of the copy write, but the Jalosjos-controlled TAPE Inc. claims ownership of the trademark through registration.

Their battle has shifted to ownership of entertainment rights, etcetera.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)