JOURNALISTS are filing a civil class action suit against presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo today at the Makati regional trial court in response to the flurry of libel cases he has filed since 2003 — 10 against 45 members of the press, a number unprecedented in Philippine history.
The plaintiffs, represented by half of those Arroyo has charged with libel, are joined by other journalists and media and journalists? organizations, including the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. They are contesting the First Gentleman’s claim that he has been maligned as a private citizen, for which he is seeking at least P141 million in damages.
Arguing that the reports are fair commentaries on matters of public interest, the journalists assert that the “sheer number of libel suits Arroyo has filed suggests that these are primarily intended to intimidate the press and silence criticism.”
Kasali rin si Ellen sa mga nag-file.
Some 60 journalists and concerned citizens , including yours truly, yesterday filed a civil class suit against Mike Arroyo before the Makati Regional Trial Court.
In the suit, we contend that Mike Arroyo, spouse of President Gloria Arroyo, is both a public figure and a public officer.
We said that the libel suits he has filed against 45 journalists is a “clear abuse of right and an obvious effort to obstruct, defeat, and/or violate the Plaintiffs’ constitutional rights “ and obviously intended “to stifle and/or chill the exercise of freedom of the press, thereby causing them grave injury and tremendous amount of money”.
We asked for a symbolic amount of P15 million in damages.
The class suit is unprecedented and the first of its kind in the world.
Mahirap na kalaban si Big Mike at ang mga officials na konektado sa kanya as long as GMA is still in power.
Remember the PROBE team, "the longest-running and most awarded television newsmagazine" in the country. Well, it was pressure from the administration and Pidal's best buddy Efraim Genuino that led to the censorship and cancellation of Probe Team by GMA7.
No surprise there, matagal na nating alam na maka-Admin ang GMA7 at si Mike Enriquez.
As for Efraim Genuino, ito ang report ng PCIJ on how valuable Genuino is to the Arroyo admin:
THE name of Ephraim Genuino, chair of the cash-rich Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), came up in the press conference held this morning by President Arroyo’s former Cabinet members.
Former Education Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad said that a small group of Cabinet secretaries had asked Arroyo to let Genuino go at the height of the political crisis.
But the president wouldn’t, according to Abad. He quoted her as saying, "I need Genuino because… he takes cares of the media and the bishops for me."
Genuino, a close associate of First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, apparently does more than dealing with the press and the clergy.
In its latest issue, Newsbreak identified 15 conversations in the controversial "Hello, Garci" tapes as supposedly those between the Pagcor chair and then elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
Genuino, in two instances, asked about possible payoffs to election manipulators, according to Newsbreak.
Several of the 15 conversations were earlier reported to have been between Garcillano and Mr. Arroyo or former Sen. Robert Barbers.
Newsbreak’s story in full.
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