MANILA, 23 November 2006 — Forty-two Filipino journalists are filing a class action civil suit against the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, accusing him of violating their rights when he filed libel cases against them.
Speaking through their lawyer, Harry Roque, the journalists said they are accusing Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo of abusing his powers as a presidential spouse by filing multiple libel cases against reporters, columnists, editors and publishers who were critical of his activities.
They said Arroyo was taking advantage of his proximity to the president to stifle press freedom.
Named as primary complainants in the suit being prepared were editors and reporters of Newsbreak Magazine, Malaya, The Philippine Daily Tribune, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
According to Roque, only Amado “Jake” Macasaet, the publisher of Malaya, has not expressed his intention to sign the petition.
“We are sending a very strong message to the first gentleman and other public officials that media won’t take it sitting down when the right to file a libel case is abused,” said Roque, a University of the Philippines professor.
He said the libel cases filed by Arroyo were not aimed at defending his honor but were instead intended “to chill and intimidate media.” He said the class suit would be filed next week at a court in suburban Makati City. The charges stemmed mostly from news reports linking the first gentleman to alleged election fraud and corruption.
Roque said that while Arroyo had a right to press those charges, he abused such a right and acted in bad faith because his intention was to intimidate the media in their coverage.
He said as the president’s husband, Mike Arroyo was a public figure and therefore fair game to fair commentary, which falls under the protective mantle of privileged communication.
Roque also said a separate case may be filed against Arroyo with the UN Commission on Human Rights after Filipino journalists “exhaust local remedies.”
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) earlier decried Arroyo’s “propensity to sue journalists as to muzzle those he does not agree with” as it called for the decriminalization of libel in the country.
“The record number of cases Arroyo has filed highlight how the powerful in this benighted land regularly abuse libel laws to curtail the democratic right of the press to delve into the truth behind matters of public interest and the people’s right to now,” it said.
International media organizations have also considered the Philippines as the second most dangerous place in the world for journalists next to Iraq, due to unabated attacks and harassment against media practitioners.
In 2005, a total of 10 journalists were killed in the Philippines, mostly over their reporting on corruption and illegal activities in government. Most of the killings remain unresolved. So far this year, at least six journalists have been killed in the country.
Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said his client has not violated any criminal or civil laws. “We will not stop them from filing any case. We welcome it. Unlike them we don’t fault people for exercising their civil rights,” Rondain said.
Arroyo’s spokeswoman, Juris Soliman, earlier denied the libel suits were intended to stifle the media and said the articles in question were written with malice. (With input from Inquirer News Service and Agencies)
