THE international group Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres) has tagged presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo as the "new enemy" of the Philippine press for the series of libel suits he has filed against journalists.
The new moniker of Arroyo was contained in the organization’s survey on the status of press freedom in 98 countries in 2006. The report was posted in its website www.rsf.org.
RSF found it ironic that Arroyo lodged 43 libel complaints against journalists while his wife, President Arroyo, claimed that her government was "respectful of press freedom, an institution of Philippine democracy."
It said at least six journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2006 and that "murders, assaults, arrests, abusive lawsuits and censorship were the hallmark of 2006 in this country."
There were at least 25 murder attempts and assaults and 10 arrests during 2006.
RSF said the Arroyo administration "has been widely criticized for its inability to act against the murderers of opposition and human rights activists," with some politically committed journalists ending up as victims of political violence.
It said police and the courts have chalked up some successes in their struggle against the murderers of journalists, as shown by the sentencing to life imprisonment of four men found guilty of murdering Marlene Esperrat in March 2005.
"But collusion inside the justice system allowed those who ordered the killing to escape court for the time being," it said.
It said "censorship also bit deeper" in 2006 because local politicians sought to silence opposition media.
It noted that the mayor of Valencia City ordered the closure of radio dxVR in March 2006 because some of the media persons in the station were close to his political opponents.
More details from the Tribune taken the RSF website:
“Despite new arrests of murderers, the authorities failed to stem the wave of violence against journalists. At least six were killed in 2006. And the press also found itself facing a new enemy: Jose Miguel Arroyo, the husband of President Gloria Arroyo, who took out a raft of defamation suits,” the report said.
The global watchdog, which is keeping a keen eye on the media freedom situationer in the country, also strongly insinuated that President Arroyo is insincere when she mouths platitudes for freedom and democracy, with her spouse filing one lawsuit after another against critical journalists.
“While her husband was lodging ‘defamation’ complaints against more than 40 journalists, President Arroyo said, on Nov. 18, 2006, that her government was ‘respectful of press freedom, an institution of Philippine democracy’.”
RSF also pointed out that on that same day Mrs. Arroyo was mouthing platitudes on protecting and upholding press freedom, “journalist Ellen Tordesillas, a stern critic of the government received an e-mail warning her: ‘Your days are numbered.’”
The report added that “the avalanche of suits brought by the ‘First Gentleman’ in a country where defamation is still a criminal offense, put the liberty of scores of journalists in danger.
“In October, eight members of the management on privately-owned daily Malaya narrowly escaped arrest after publishing an editorial accusing the head of state’s husband of ‘corruption.’
Mr. Arroyo, even as he continues filing criminal libel cases against several journalists, always insists that he is a “private citizen” and rejects the tag of a “public figure,” even if he is a public figure owing to his status as the presidential spouse, at the very least.
It is on record that Mr. Arroyo, in Las Vegas during the first non-title bout of Philippine boxer Manny Pacquio, stayed at a posh and exclusive hotel where the suites were reported to cost some $20,000 per night.
The presidential spouse claimed that the posh suite, reserved for high rollers and important visitors, was given to him for free, because of “his stature” as the husband of the Philippine president.
Yet he rejects the tag of a public figure in these libel cases.
And in other news, the MILF springs 46 from a Cotobato jail.
the MNLF on the other hand, recently released their hostaged officials, including a military general, back to the government.
Hmmmm. something's cookin here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment