Arrest warrant out for newspaper publisher, staff

Acting on libel suits filed by Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a local court issued warrants of arrest against a publisher and several of the newspaper’s staff members, as well as a former senator on 16 October in Manila.

In a resolution released early Monday (16 October), Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 ordered the arrest of national Malaya publisher Amado Macasaet; editors Enrique Romualdez, Joy de los Reyes, Ma. Teresa Molina, and Minnie Advincula; reporters Ellen Tordesillas, JP Lopez and Regina Bengco; and columnist Francisco Tatad.

A bail of P10,000 (about US$200) for each of the accused was paid, according to Tordesillas, who was reinstated as a respondent after being dropped earlier in the case.

Arroyo’s complaint stemmed from a 19 May 2004 column written by Tatad, who is a former senator, accusing the presidential spouse of manipulating the 2004 presidential elections for his wife, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Malaya also published portions of Tatad’s columns in its news reports in May 2006.

Malaya’s stories alleged that First Gentleman Arroyo, with the help of military personnel and government officials, bought certificates of canvass throughout the country, especially in Mindanao. In his libel complaint, Arroyo denied the allegation and insisted that he was in Manila at the time of the elections.

In recent months, Arroyo had filed at least 10 libel suits against 43 journalists. Philippine media organizations deplored the filing of the cases, saying these were aimed at creating a “chilling effect” on the press.

Arroyo is seeking a total of P70 million (about US$1.4 million) in moral damages from the libel suits.

More than 600 journalists and 30 local and foreign media organisations, including CMFR, have supported a joint petition drafted by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines calling for the decriminalization of libel in the country. (With reports from GMANews.tv)

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