(CMFR/IFEX) – Filipino journalists and media organizations are planning to file a civil suit against the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, for violating their right to freedom of expression. The planned legal action was announced during a press briefing by lawyer Harry Roque at the University of the Philippines Law Center on 22 November […]
(CMFR/IFEX) – Filipino journalists and media organizations are planning to file a civil suit against the husband of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, for violating their right to freedom of expression.
The planned legal action was announced during a press briefing by lawyer Harry Roque at the University of the Philippines Law Center on 22 November 2006. Roque described the legal action to be taken by journalists as “an unprecedented social experiment.” It is based on Articles 19, 20, 21 and 32 of the Philippine Civil Code.
In recent months, Arroyo’s spouse, Jose Miguel, has brought 43 lawsuits against media practitioners for libel. The libel cases are widely believed to be aimed at creating a “chilling effect” on the press, which has been critical of Mr. Arroyo.
The press has been reporting on Arroyo’s allegedly unexplained wealth, his alleged involvement in cheating to help his wife win the presidential elections, and his allegedly having profited from government projects.
All but one of the 43 members of the media who have been charged by Arroyo joined together in filing the class suit. The complaint is expected to be submitted to the Makati Regional Trial Court in the last week of November.
“It is now time to do something apart from protesting Arroyo’s libel suits,” said Luis Teodoro, board member of the CMFR, which is supporting the class suit along with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
“He is not out to defend his honor,” Roque said of Arroyo. “Despite his knowledge that, as a public figure, he is open to fair comment and reporting on his public life, Jose Miguel Arroyo continues to harass members of the press with a barrage of malicious libel suits,” he added.
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) has pledged P100,000 (approx. US$2,000) to support the journalists’ case, according to Roby Alampay, the regional media organization’s executive director.
Roque said that the plaintiffs would welcome contributions from all sectors, except politicians, in order to raise a bigger filing fee. More damages can be sought if more money is raised by the time the suit is filed.
The journalists plan to sue Arroyo for P87 million (approx. US$1.74 million) in damages, to symbolize a peso for each member of the country’s population of 87 million people, each of whom will suffer because of the violation of press freedom Arroyo’s legal actions represent. Such an amount, however, would require a filing fee of P1.7 million (US$34,000).
If they win, the journalists have vowed to use the money they would be awarded to put up a trust fund that would advance the cause of Philippine journalism.
Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, described the class suit as a “garbage case.” He also said his client would file a counter-suit if the case is filed. He insisted that Arroyo was merely exercising his rights when he accused the journalists of maligning him.
This alert was prepared with the use of reports from GMANews.tv and ABS-CBN Online.
