Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR)

(CMFR/IFEX) – The following is a CMFR statement: Suspected gambling lord barges into a radio station Misamis Occidental, Southern Philippines – A suspected gambling operator reportedly barged into a local radio station in Ozamiz City and threatened the station’s personnel on January 5. Manuel Francisco, suspected of running a “jai-alai” (illegal gambling operation), barged into […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – On 11 January 2005, at dawn, unidentified armed men stormed and set on fire an outside broadcast (OB) van of local network giant ABS-CBN. The incident took place in Mandaluyong City. The OB van, which is worth about P35 million (approx. US$625,000), was parked at a local gasoline station at around 4:25 a.m. […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – A libel suit filed against former broadcaster and current Vice President Noli de Castro has been dismissed by a Manila court. In a 20 December 2004 order, Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Wilfredo Reyes dropped the libel case filed by businessman Rafael Engle against de Castro, because of the businessman’s failure to establish […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – On 10 December 2004, a local judge issued a temporary restraining order on lawyer-journalist Melanio “Batas” Mauricio Jr., barring him from disclosing in public any controversial information about a meat processing company. Valenzuela City Regional Trial Court Judge Dionisio Sison has issued an order stopping Mauricio “from publishing, televising, and/or broadcasting any subject […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – A former broadcaster who became a politician was killed at around noon (local time) on 6 December 2004, in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, southern Philippines. She suffered three bullet wounds from a .45 calibre pistol. Amy Corpuz had worked for some time as a reporter for DXOM in Koronadal City. She was a […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – On 29 September 2004, Romeo Binungkal, former editor-in-chief of the local newspaper “Mt. Samat Weekly Forum”, was killed on his way home to Pilar, Bataan in Central Luzon. Binungkal, 43, was the third journalist killed in Bataan province. At the time of his death, he was a correspondent for the Manila-based tabloids “Remate” […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – On 13 September 2004, two years and four months after the death of Pagadian City journalist Edgar Damalerio, the main suspect in his killing, former police officer Guillermo Wapille, surrendered to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Edgardo Aglipay in Camp Crame. The arrest came more than 12 months into the media campaign “Operation […]

(CMFR/IFEX) – Two of the principal suspects in the 17 June 2004 killing of Sarangani, southern Philippines, broadcaster Ely Binoya surrendered to local authorities on the afternoon of 23 August. In a telephone interview with CMFR, the Central Mindanao police director, Chief Supt. Antonio Billones, said Ephraim “Toto” Englis, Datal Tampal village chairman, and Alfonso […]