Police tries to arrest reporter

AN ARREST warrant for a business reporter, one of the 43 journalists sued by the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Jose Miguel Arroyo, was served by at least six policemen right inside the Malacañang Palace compound last 13 November.

Five Manila Police District policemen entered the press working area of the Malacañang Press Corps and sought Mia Gonzalez, reporter of the national business daily, the BusinessMirror, shortly before 11 a.m. Gonzalez was, however, not arrested because she was on leave.

Asked why they were looking for her, the policemen said their purpose was “confidential.” One reporter then checked the area’s logbook, and found out that the police were going to serve an arrest warrant.

Gonzalez, who has been covering the presidential beat since the Ramos administration, said that no notice about the court order was received by herself, her lawyer or even the staff of Newsbreak magazine, the publication to which she is a contributor.

“We’re surprised that an arrest warrant was about to be served on Mia Gonzalez, our contributor. We, including our counsel, have not received a copy of the resolution from the court. We deplore the short cut in the legal process, a clear abuse of power,” Marites Vitug, editor in chief of Newsbreak, said.

Mr. Arroyo filed the complaint against Gonzalez for her article, “Will GMA now change?” published in 2004 in Newsbreak magazine.

She used the pen name “Concepcion Paez” for the story but admitted authorship of the story in the counteraffidavit she submitted to the court.

Gonzalez, an award-winning literary writer, said her lawyer has yet to receive a copy of the resolution on her libel case.

The attempt to arrest Gonzalez came a day after Malaya columnist and chief of reporters Ellen Tordesillas, who is also among the 43 journalists charged with libel by Mr. Arroyo, received an e-mailed death threat for her criticism of the President. (with reports from Inquirer News Service)

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