Journalists to sue Arroyo’s husband
Posted: 21 Nov 2006 12:47 AM CST
The following article by Raissa Robles is in today’s issue of the Hongkong-based South China Morning Post.
Dozens of Philippines journalists are playing first gentleman Mike Arroyo at his own game, filing a class-action lawsuit against the president’s litigious husband.
University of the Philippines law professor Harry Roque, who prepared the petition, said all but one of the 43 journalists being sued for libel by Mr Arroyo had agreed to sign up to the lawsuit.
The suit claims Mr Arroyo breached their rights under the civil code, and will seek cash damages.
“When he sued the 43 journalists, it was Mr Arroyo’s intention in fact to chill the freedom of the press,” Professor Roque said.
The high number of libel suits filed by Mr Arroyo showed “it is not only an act directly against specific individuals but an act directed to intimidate the entire profession”.
Mr Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said “really?”, and started laughing. “I can’t imagine what course of action they might have against him because he hasn’t done anything that violates any of their civil, political or criminal rights.”
But the sued journalists said they were serious about standing up for press freedom. Mr Roque said the 42 litigants would publicly sign the petition tomorrow and it would be filed next week.
Other journalists who have no pending libel cases against them by Mr Arroyo were also expected to sign up.
ABS-CBN journalist Ricky Carandang said he was signing up as “I think Mr Arroyo’s actions have gone beyond that of an aggrieved person seeking redress [and] they are trying to redefine libel.”
Mr Carandang was business editor at Newsbreak when it printed an article alleging the first family hid assets in the United States.
Newsbreak editor-in-chief Marites Vitug confirmed she and six other staff members of the investigative news magazine who have pending libel suits would join in.
“We really want to make a statement that the first gentleman is using libel not reasonably but to … stop reporting about him,” she said.
Professor Roque called the planned suit “unprecedented”. He said they intended to make Mr Arroyo “liable for damages” for violating the Philippines Civil Code.
Its Article 32, in particular, makes “any public officer or employee, or any private individual” liable for damages if he “directly or indirectly obstructs, defeats, violates or in any manner impedes or impairs any of the following rights and liberties of another person [including the] freedom to write for the press or maintain a periodical publication”, Professor Roque said.
Mr Rondain said: “I can’t imagine” such grounds for a suit. I’m still laughing.
*** It is about time for the journalists to say:”enough is enough!” – aloud, that is. All this time, they are seething inside for lack of a champion to voice their dissent. Now that they have Professor Harry Roque as their knight in shining armor, they should be more vocal in exercising their press freedom, oblivious the husband of Arroyo.
Miguel Arroyo is a bully throwing his weight around. Bullies thrive on fear. Once the fear dissipates and the journalists go tit for tat, Arroyo would go slinking with tails wrapped around his legs. He has no business curtailing the freedom of the press, much less, being frivolous filing all those libel suits.
Posted: 21 Nov 2006 12:47 AM CST
The following article by Raissa Robles is in today’s issue of the Hongkong-based South China Morning Post.
Dozens of Philippines journalists are playing first gentleman Mike Arroyo at his own game, filing a class-action lawsuit against the president’s litigious husband.
University of the Philippines law professor Harry Roque, who prepared the petition, said all but one of the 43 journalists being sued for libel by Mr Arroyo had agreed to sign up to the lawsuit.
The suit claims Mr Arroyo breached their rights under the civil code, and will seek cash damages.
“When he sued the 43 journalists, it was Mr Arroyo’s intention in fact to chill the freedom of the press,” Professor Roque said.
The high number of libel suits filed by Mr Arroyo showed “it is not only an act directly against specific individuals but an act directed to intimidate the entire profession”.
Mr Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, said “really?”, and started laughing. “I can’t imagine what course of action they might have against him because he hasn’t done anything that violates any of their civil, political or criminal rights.”
But the sued journalists said they were serious about standing up for press freedom. Mr Roque said the 42 litigants would publicly sign the petition tomorrow and it would be filed next week.
Other journalists who have no pending libel cases against them by Mr Arroyo were also expected to sign up.
ABS-CBN journalist Ricky Carandang said he was signing up as “I think Mr Arroyo’s actions have gone beyond that of an aggrieved person seeking redress [and] they are trying to redefine libel.”
Mr Carandang was business editor at Newsbreak when it printed an article alleging the first family hid assets in the United States.
Newsbreak editor-in-chief Marites Vitug confirmed she and six other staff members of the investigative news magazine who have pending libel suits would join in.
“We really want to make a statement that the first gentleman is using libel not reasonably but to … stop reporting about him,” she said.
Professor Roque called the planned suit “unprecedented”. He said they intended to make Mr Arroyo “liable for damages” for violating the Philippines Civil Code.
Its Article 32, in particular, makes “any public officer or employee, or any private individual” liable for damages if he “directly or indirectly obstructs, defeats, violates or in any manner impedes or impairs any of the following rights and liberties of another person [including the] freedom to write for the press or maintain a periodical publication”, Professor Roque said.
Mr Rondain said: “I can’t imagine” such grounds for a suit. I’m still laughing.
*** It is about time for the journalists to say:”enough is enough!” – aloud, that is. All this time, they are seething inside for lack of a champion to voice their dissent. Now that they have Professor Harry Roque as their knight in shining armor, they should be more vocal in exercising their press freedom, oblivious the husband of Arroyo.
Miguel Arroyo is a bully throwing his weight around. Bullies thrive on fear. Once the fear dissipates and the journalists go tit for tat, Arroyo would go slinking with tails wrapped around his legs. He has no business curtailing the freedom of the press, much less, being frivolous filing all those libel suits.
2 comments:
Good to see you blogging my friend. I hope the rest of the barkada follows suit. Welcome to the blogsphere.
Way to go - the poetic firefly! Congratulations to your new blogsite.
Good luck!
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