(CMFR/IFEX) – Jose Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is planning to file a libel suit against Ramon, Raffy, and Erwin Tulfo for their alleged “rehashed and malicious lies.” Jesus Santos, Arroyo’s lawyer, said that the planned libel suit stemmed from the recent tirades made by the three brothers, broadcast journalists whose […]
(CMFR/IFEX) – Jose Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is planning to file a libel suit against Ramon, Raffy, and Erwin Tulfo for their alleged “rehashed and malicious lies.”
Jesus Santos, Arroyo’s lawyer, said that the planned libel suit stemmed from the recent tirades made by the three brothers, broadcast journalists whose programme, titled “Isumbong Mo, Tulfo Brothers”, was recently cancelled by its carrier, the government-owned television network RPN-9.
The television station had earlier issued a statement saying the decision not to renew the Tulfos’ contract was a “painful decision though it was done without fear or favour.”
The Tulfos, however, claimed in a press conference two weeks ago in Quezon City that it was Arroyo who had asked RPN-9 not to renew their contract in retaliation for their exposes on the alleged smuggling activities of Vicky Toh and her brother Tomas Toh.
Santos said Arroyo had nothing to do with the cancellation of the show of the Tulfos.
Ramon, the eldest of the siblings, had claimed that the Tohs are virtually “untouchable” at the Bureau of Customs because they are protected by the Arroyos.
He had also claimed it was President Gloria Arroyo who gave him the go-ahead to do the expose.
Santos said the Bureau of Customs had just concluded a seven-month investigation “which found no record or evidence against the Tohs. The investigation report was signed by six people and noted by two directors and one deputy Customs commissioner. Again we dare Ramon to call these officials liars.”
Mr. Arroyo has sued or is suing six politicians, two publishers, and 12 editors and writers, including the Tulfo brothers.
In an Php11-million (approx. US$213,385) damage suit against Lito Banayo, a former “Daily Tribune” columnist and spokesman for opposition senator Panfilo Lacson, Arroyo complained that Banayo had described him as “el esposo gordo” (the fat husband). This description was “obviously meant to denigrate me for my rotundity,” Arroyo complained.
Appearing in court for a pretrial hearing of the Banayo case, Arroyo brought along bomb-sniffing dogs and presidential palace guards, who barred the media from the proceedings, according to court sources.
The judge, Concepcion Alarcon-Vergara, ordered Banayo’s lawyer to cross-examine Mr. Arroyo without being given time to study Mr. Arroyo’s 102-page testimony.
In a separate development two weeks ago, “Malaya” newspaper publisher Jake Macasaet, along with his editors and reporters, were compelled to attend a pre-trial conference after being arraigned on Arroyo’s libel charges.
All have pleaded not guilty to maliciously publishing a May 2004 article in which former opposition senator Francisco Tatad named Mr. Arroyo as “chief cheating operator”.
Charges against Tatad were dropped, however, after he claimed he was misquoted.
Ellen Tordesillas, “Malaya” chief of reporters, was also originally among those accused, but the charges against her were dropped for unknown reasons.
Tordesillas, a veteran journalist who is being treated for cancer, said the case had shown her first-hand how such suits were “really expensive” in terms of time, money and effort.
“I had to go to court even if I had just finished chemotherapy,” she complained. “Lawsuits are one way to pressure the media into silence by intimidation.”
