PEPster Culture explained

For a blogger, I agree with the explanation of Jo-ann Maglipon. The people would understand what are the difference between unique hits and views and comments. Unique hits are counted per IP and not by the pages read. From one IP, a reader can view several pages so that views are bigger in terms of hits. The comments may not necessarily equal unique hits and views because readers may choose not to comment.

Comments may be more than the unique hits from one IP because the readers may choose to leave remarks in more than one article.

Here is the explanation of PEP.

PEPster CULTURE. Hot on the trail of the "suspicious" numbers, the C & D Letter says it is "suspicious" that a Richard article gathers more comments from PEPsters than a Most Viewed Article.



The insinuation is that there are no real PEPsters, and that it is just the PEP staff of 10 that must be rigging, fabricating, inventing, and posting the hundreds of comments!



The short answer is, again: Absolutely untrue!



Another answer is: PEP's Most Viewed Articles do not necessarily generate the Most Number of Comments. The PEPsters alone decide if they want to comment under an article, limit themselves to just reading the article, or even ignore an article altogether. This is entirely their call.



PEP does not control the ideas, insights, and opinions of its 32,841 registered members (as of April 18, 2009), whose I.P. (Internet Protocol) Addresses indicate their various locations in the world.



Note: Google Analytics puts PEP's unique users—that is, a count of each individual logging on to PEP—at 1.1 million; the 32,841 are those who went on to register in order to be able to interact with the site—that is, post comments, gain access to the site's other features, and so on.

The response of PEP to the Cease and Desist Order of the Gutierrez' Lawyer

The PEP editor-in-chief Jo-ann Maglipon regarded the C and D letter as violation of the freedom of expression.

This is a portion of her response.

The C & D Letter asks for something really grave—and impossible to give. It asks that we stop any coverage of Richard Gutierrez and shut down all comments about Richard by PEP users, a.k.a. the PEPsters.



The C & D Letter demands that "PEP's publisher Summit Media, its editorial staff headed by Jo-Ann Maglipon and Karen Pagsolingan, and its writers to immediately, upon receipt of this letter, CEASE AND DESIST from publishing any further articles and/or comments about Richard Gutierrez."



There is no other way to say it.



This is an affront to a free press.



It is cavalier about free speech.



It totally misrepresents the nature of public figures.



And it is dismissive of the public's right to know.



(Incidentally, in the interest of fact and accuracy, the Letter's authors should note that PEP is not owned by Summit Media but by PEP Inc. A more complete research will show that these are two distinct entities.)



We received the C & D Letter on April 14, 2009. Today, we are still printing articles and comments on Richard Gutierrez, as they come. Tomorrow, we will still be doing the same thing.



Let us not forget who we are talking about here. This is Richard Gutierrez, a movie star who, in the words of his mother and talent manager Annabelle Rama, is "the No. 1 na artista" in the land. [Click related story here.] The 25-year-old Richard is, therefore, by every measure a public figure. And PEP—being a site that carries reports, opinions, features, blogs, videos, podcasts, and photographs of and about public figures—will continue to do its job of reporting on Richard Gutierrez, for as long as the public is interested in him.



In brief, no one shall storm what the Constitution protects.

Annabelle Rama is filing a case aganst PEP if there is no retraction

Despite the private conversations between Annabelle Rama and Jo-ann Maglipon, the talent manager and mother of Richard Gutierrez is filing a case against the PEP.

Kinumpirma kaninang 2:23 p.m., April 1, ni Annabelle Rama ang balita na sasampahan niya ng kaso ang PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) at ang mga tauhan nito dahil sa paninira sa kanyang anak na si Richard Gutierrez.

Ito ay sa kabila ng paghingi ng apology ng editor-in-chief ng PEP na si Jo-Ann Maglipon sa pamamagitan ng isang press conference kahapon, March 31.

Sinabi ni Annabelle na magkahiwalay na kaso ang isasampa nila ni Richard laban sa PEP.

"Si Richard ang kausapin n'yo tungkol doon. Ako, as a manager of Richard, itutuloy ko ang demanda ko sa kanila kasi, unang-una, hindi naman clear ang apology ni Jo-Ann Maglipon. Pinaikot-ikot niya ang mga press. Pinaikot-ikot niya lahat ng tao.

"Ang gusto ko, direct to the point. Walang incident na nangyari kaya idedemanda ang PEP at saka lahat ng tao na involved para lumabas yung dalawa nilang sinasabing witness. Gusto kong malaman kung saan nanggaling ang istoryang 'yan at gusto ko mag-file ng demanda as a manager."

RICHARD'S LAWSUIT. Bakit hiwalay pa ang demanda ni Annabelle sa demanda ni Richard?

"Iba yung demanda ni Richard kasi susulat pa ang lawyer ko sa kanila after ten days. Si Richard, number one na artista. Hindi ako nagyayabang, number one na artista, maraming commercials, may pelikula, sikat! Sinira nila ang pangalan ng anak ko sa istoryang mali kaya gagawin ko na magdemanda ako para matulungan ko ang ibang artista [na] inaapi-api nila sa PEP.

"Leksyon ito para sa kanila na hindi puwedeng mag-imbento ng istorya. Yung kay Richard, sobrang pag-iimbento ng istorya, sobrang imbento! Hindi ko alam kung saan galing ang istoryang 'yon! At gusto kong ilabas nila ang dalawang witness na sinasabi nila.

"Actually, marami ang naninira kay Richard. Gusto nilang i-down si Richard. Sa awa ng Diyos, siguro sa pagdadasal ko at ang bait-bait ng anak ko, ang bait ni Richard, ang bait ng pamilya ko, hindi pumapayag ang nasa Itaas na ma-down si Richard.

"Maraming gustong i-down si Richard. Hindi lang sa PEP. May mga nagte-text sa akin. Maraming imbento kaya nga natutuwa ako dahil si Richard, nagte-taping sa malayo para malayo sa gulo."

THE FATEFUL NIGHT. Ano sa pagkakaalam niya ang nangyari sa birthday party ni Direk Mark Reyes?

"Noong gabing 'yon, pinipigilan ko si Richard na pumunta sa party, baka 'kako may gulo. Sabi niya sa akin, 'Ma, magpapakita lang ako kay Direk, nakakahiya, direktor ko 'yan sa Zorro.

"Nagbiyahe pa si Richard from Bataan for four hours, wala pa siyang tulog galing sa taping para dumalo sa party 'tapos ito pa ang ipapalit nila sa akin, pag-iimbento ng kuwento? Galit na galit si Richard.

"Marami silang isinusulat na below-the-belt, nakakahiya sa ibang artista. At itong ginawa nila kay Richard, proven na talagang yung mga nilalagay sa PEP, hindi totoo. Example yung kay Richard, nagsalita na lahat ang mga witness na walang gulong nangyari. Nagsalita na yung direktor, sa party niya, walang nangyari.

"Yung supposed to be na kalaban ni Richard na si Michael Flores, nagsalita na rin na walang nangyari. Bakit ipipilit na may nangyari? Takot silang masira ang kanilang PEP? Sira na sila ngayon sa ginawa nila sa anak ko."

PHONE TALK WITH MS. MAGLIPON. Isinalaysay din ni Annabelle ang naging pag-uusap nila ni Jo-Ann sa telepono noong Sunday. "Kinonfront ko siya. Sabi niya,'Tatanggalin ko Annabelle kasi nakausap ng PEP si Michael, idinenay, wala raw nangyari.'

"Pati si Epy Quizon at kung sino pa yung mga nakausap nila, so pinull-out kaagad nila sa Internet yung mga pangyayari. Yung article.

"Ang sabi ko sa kanya, magdedemanda ako. Sabi niya, 'Ano gusto mong gawin namin para hindi ka na magdemanda?' Sabi ko, 'I-retract mo 'yon. Linisin mo ang pangalan ng anak ko, kasi maraming nakakabasa sa Internet na 'yan.'

"So, kahapon, hindi ako satisfied sa mga sinasabi ni Jo-Ann. Hindi satisfied ang buong pamilya ko. Kapag hindi pa siya mag-retract after receiving the letter from my lawyer, tuluy-tuloy na ang demanda sa kanila to clear Richard's name."

NO WORD OF HONOR? Ano ang reaksyon niya sa ipinahayag ng PEP editor-in-chief na walang isang salita si Annabelle kapag itinuloy niya ang demanda, na taliwas sa unang napagkasunduan nila?

Annabelle Rama To sue PEP regarding Richard Gutierrez article

Jo-Ann Maglipon, the editor-in chief of PEP may have apologized to Richard Gutierrez et al but she was not coerced to retract what was published despite the threat of a suit by Annabelle Rama.

Nag-apologize ang PEP editor-in-chief na si Jo-Ann Maglipon para kay Richard Gutierrez, Michael Flores at Jeffrey Quizon dahil ang mga pangalan nila ang nabanggit sa article na lumabas sa PEP pero na-pull out kaagaad.

Nag-apologize si Mama Jo-ann dahil na-upload kaagad ang article nang hindi pa kumpleto ang kanilang imbestigasyon.

Nag-apologize siya at inamin niya na may mga loopholes sa kuwento pero hindi satisfied si Annabelle Rama.

Hindi natutuwa si Bisaya sa apology at sa press­con na ipinatawag ni Jo-Ann dahil hindi raw nito inabswelto si Richard.
Hindi raw sinabi ni Jo-Ann na hindi totoong nangyari ang insidente na tinutukan ng baril ni Richard si Michael.

Gusto ni Bisaya na linisin ni Mama Jo-Ann ang name ni Richard pero hindi binawi ni Mama Jo-Ann ang kuwento na inilabas ng PEP noong linggo dahil wala raw siyang alam sa nangyari. Bakit daw niya babawiin ang kuwento na hindi naman niya na-witness?

Imbes na matapos ang isyu, lalo pa itong lumaki. Ang dinig ko, itutuloy ni Bisaya ang planong pagdede­manda sa writer ng PEP para magkaalaman kung saan nanggaling ang kuwento na tinutukan ni Richard ng baril si Michael.

Should this happen, the publicity that Annabelle Rama gets from PEP for her talents will be reduced to the extent of the PEP's coverage of fans.