President’s husband files another libel charge (UPDATED)
Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, husband of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sued seven staff members of the Manila-based broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer, including the publisher and several editors, and demanded P11 million ($220, 000) in damages last 20 February 2007.
Libel is a criminal offense in the Philippines.
The libel suit is based on a 2 March 2006 article written by Fe Zamora, “Mike A didn’t go to Marawi? Tell that to the Marines.” The article reported the negative reaction of Marine soldiers in Campo Ranao, Marawi city in Mindanao, to denials by Arroyo’s lawyer that the presidential spouse was there to buy votes and bribe election officials during the 2004 presidential elections.
Aside from Zamora, the other respondents in the suit are Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, editor–in-chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, managing editor Jose Ma. Nolasco, associate editors Abelardo Ulanday and Rosario Garcellano, and news editor Artemio Engracia Jr.
The number of journalists sued by Arroyo for libel now totals 46, as Yambot, Magsanoc and the other editors had already been sued by Arroyo because of a series of columns by Ramon Tulfo that appeared in the Inquirer in 2006.
“I have suffered serious emotional trauma, mental anguish, serious anxiety, (and) public embarrassment. It caused serious dishonor to my person and family,” an Inquirer report quoted Arroyo.
Arroyo also said that the respondents acted with actual malice, intended to “malign and cause irreparable damage” to him. They acted, he said, with reckless disregard of whether or not their accusations were true, and they should be held liable for P10 million ($200, 000) in damages and P1 million ($20, 000) in legal expenses.
Zamora said she has not received a copy of the complaint and declined to comment.
Zamora’s report had cited the September 2005 testimony of retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani on the alleged involvement of military officers in the 2004 balloting, as revealed in the “Hello, Garci” tapes.
The “Hello, Garci” tapes were a series of wiretapped conversations believed to be between president Arroyo and former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano discussing the rigging of the elections.
Gudani alleged in a Senate hearing on September 2005 that Mike Arroyo had flown to Marawi carrying bags containing P500 million ($10 million) which was allegedly used to bribe election officials. “I vehemently deny that I ever went to Marawi for the purpose of buying votes or to manipulate the (2004) elections in any way. I deny having brought P500 million anywhere for any purpose. I deny having requested anyone, much less any member of the military, to manipulate the election,” Arroyo said.
Arroyo filed the libel case before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office accompanied by three of his lawyers. A class action suit was filed by more than half of the then 45 journalists sued by Arroyo together with the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and The Daily Tribune, on 28 December 2006. The class action suit, which is asking for P12. 5 million ($250, 000) in damages, argues that Arroyo has abused his right to sue and is damaging press freedom by filing a spate of libel cases against journalists.
Mike Arroyo has been tagged by Reporters Without Borders as the “new enemy” of the press in the Philippines for his “raft of defamation suits” against journalists.
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