Philippine press threatened by “Manila Times” precedent
(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is deeply disturbed by the threatening signals the Philippine administration has sent to the independent press in the Philippines in recent months as it pursued a 101 million peso (US$2.6 million) libel suit against the “Manila Times”, one of the country’s oldest newspapers. **Updates IFEX alert of 24 March 1999** The lawsuit […]
President’s action worries Philippine press
(PINA/IFEX) – Philippines news organisations are worried by a record P101 million (approx. US$2,617,000) criminal libel suit by President Joseph Estrada against one of the country’s main daily newspapers, “The Manila Times”, its executives and journalists. According to the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), comments Estrada made in launching the action are a threat to the […]
Journalist murdered
(CPJ/IFEX) – According to CPJ, journalist Nelson Catipay, 35, a correspondent for radio station DXMY in Cotabato City, was shot while traveling in a jeepney (passenger minivan) to a news conference in the town of Sultan Kudarat. Catipay was shot by two unidentified men who were fellow passengers, according to police reports. The killers reportedly […]
Journalist killed
(RSF/IFEX) – According to RSF, Reynaldo Bancayrin, anchorman for the DXLL radio station, was murdered on 30 March 1998 in the southern city of Zamboanga. The journalist was presenting his program, “Bale Todo”, when two persons knocked at the door of his booth. He allowed them in and one man shot him at point-blank range […]
Five television journalists dismissed; suspicions of government interference
(IFJ/IFEX) – Five editors and reporters from the International Broadcasting Corporation (IBC – 13) were dismissed from office on 22 September 1997. This coincided with an anti-government rally the day before that was allegedly censored from news reports in government-controlled media organs. The official version of events states that their removal was part of a […]
Journalist Florente Formento wounded in assassination attempt
On 20 June 1995, an attempt was made on the life of journalist Florente Formento in Cotabato, a city on the island of Mindanao. Florente Formento was heading home on his moped, when two men armed with revolvers leaped into sight and blocked the road, forcing him to stop. The two opened fire on the […]