(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 […]
(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 entire news media of the Philippines.
On 9 March 1999 Estrada filed a criminal libel complaint against “The
Manila
Times”, its key directors, publisher Ermin Garcia Junior,
editor-in-chief
Lourdes Mangahas, other news executives, and journalist Joel Gaborni.
This
occurred after a report was written by Gaborni on 16 February. The
report
stated that Estrada became an “unwitting ninong (godfather)” to an
irregular
government contract when he witnessed the signing of a P17 billion
(approx.
US$440,415,000) deal between the government-run National Power
Corporation
and an Argentine company, IMPSA Engineering Ltd. The report also alleged
that last-minute changes were inserted in the contract after it was
approved
by the government, thus violating bidding rules. Estrada sought P100
million
(approx. US$2,590,674) in damages and at least P1 million (approx.
US$25,907) in exemplary damages. According to Manila newspaper reports
he
said: “This is the last straw. They have ridiculed me here.”
On 10 March, PPI, which is a UNESCO-designated press freedom centre,
issued
a statement which said: “The Philippine Press Institute notes that
President
Joseph Estrada has filed a libel suit against ‘The Manila Times’. That
right
is available to all who feel aggrieved by the mass media. In his
complaint
he alleged: ‘Furthermore, in order to set as an example to press and
media
people similarly inclined and to deter others from defaming, maligning,
degrading and placing in disrepute private individuals and public
servants
under the guise of freedom of speech and of the press, respondents
should
further be held liable for exemplary damages in the sum at least P1
million.’ PPI regrets the threat to the entire mass media. PPI calls the
attention of President Estrada to the role of the press in a free
society.
‘The press,’ as Ms. Katherine Graham of the Washington Post said, should
be
considered not as a fourth branch of government but as an essential
counterweight to government, the basic check against the abuse of
official
power.”
“The Manila Times” commented in a statement: “In filing a libel case
because
of a legitimate story, the President also gives a chilling signal to the
press that he is not about to tolerate criticism, or even reportage, on
important issues concerning his administration.”
On 10 March, Estrada’s executive secretary, Ronaldo Zamora, also filed
his
own P50 million (approx. US$1,295,337) action against “The Manila
Times.”
Background Information
The Philippine news media are widely regarded as the most free and
diverse
in Asia. PPI executive director Guillermo Santos says that they are
especially wary of any moves to threaten or curb media freedom after
having
lost it during the years of the Marcos regime, then regained it during
the
regime’s overthrow.
