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Philippine media filing class civil suit |
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By Hector Bryant Macale
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Monday, 27 November 2006 |
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Philippine media to file class suit vs. president’s husband
Source: Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR)
 Jose Miguel Arroyo
This was announced during a briefing by lawyer Harry Roque at the University of the Philippines Law Center on 22 November. Roque described the legal action to be taken by journalists as “an unprecedented social experiment.” It is, however, based on Articles 19, 20, 21 and 32 of the Philippine Civil Code.
 Over the past months, Arroyo’s spouse, Jose Miguel, has sued 43 media practitioners for libel. The libel cases were widely believed to be aimed at creating a “chilling effect” on the press which has been critical of Mr. Arroyo. 
Over the past months, Arroyo’s spouse, Jose Miguel, has sued 43 media practitioners for libel. The libel cases were widely believed to be aimed at creating a “chilling effect” on the press which has been critical of Mr. Arroyo.
The press has been reporting on Arroyo’s alleged unexplained wealth, his involvement in alleged cheating to help his wife win the presidential elections, and his alleged profiting from government projects.
All but one of the 43 members of media who were charged by Arroyo joined other journalists and media organizations in filing the class suit. The complaint is expected to be submitted to the Makati Regional Trial Court on the last week of November.
“It is now time to do something apart from protesting Arroyo’s libel suits,” said Luis Teodoro, board member of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), a non-government group that is supporting the class suit along with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP).
“He is not out to defend his honor,” Roque said of Arroyo. “Despite his knowledge that as a public figure he is open to fair comment and reporting on his public life, Jose Miguel Arroyo continues to harass member of the press with a barrage of malicious libel suits,” he added.
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance has pledged P100,000 to support the journalists’ case, according to Roby Alampay, the regional media organization’s executive director.
Roque said the journalists welcome contributions from all sectors, except politicians, in order to raise a bigger filing fee. More damages can be sought if more money is raised by the time the suit is filed.
The journalists plan to sue Arroyo for P87 million (US$1.74 million) in damages to symbolize the country’s population of 87 million people who will suffer because of the violation of press freedom. Such an amount, however, would require a filing fee of P1.7 million (US$34,000).
If they win, the journalists vowed to use the money to put up a trust fund that would advance the cause of Philippine journalism. If they win, the journalists vowed to use the money to put up a trust fund that would advance the cause of Philippine journalism.
Arroyo’s lawyer, Ruy Rondain, described the class suit as a “garbage case.” He also said his client would file a counter-suit if the case is filed. He insisted that Arroyo was merely exercising his rights when he accused the journalists of maligning him.
- With reports from GMANews.tv and ABS-CBN Online
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Foreign journalists back class suit vs Arroyo husband
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) has thrown in its support for a class suit set against President Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel, for libel charges he had filed against Filipino journalists.
"We strongly support the filing of a class civil suit against Mr. Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo for his abuse of power and his clear attempt to undermine press freedom in an important member of the Southeast Asian community," the group said in a statement dated November 26.
Among the signatories of the statement were Southeast Asian Press Alliance, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility of the Philippines, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Alliance of Independent Journalists of Indonesia, Institute for the Study on Free Flow of Information of Indonesia, Centre for Independent Journalism of Malaysia, Mizzima News of Burma, Timor Leste Journalists Association, Aliran of Malaysia, Alliance for Freedom of Expression of Cambodia and Malaysiakini of Malaysia.
Some 42 journalists face libel in connection with their articles on the President's husband are planning to file the class suit before the Makati City Regional Trial Court this week.
SEAPA said that the "deterioration of the conditions for press freedom under the regime of President Arroyo is a troubling trend that causes anxiety in the rest of the region."
The group said it is alarmed over Mr. Arroyo's chronic filing of libel cases against journalists who were critical of the administration.
"Many of the journalists he sued had linked Mr. Arroyo to unexplained wealth, vote-buying for his wife's 2004 electoral win, and money laundering," the group said.
The group added that Mr. Arroyo's filing of libel cases sends "a chilling" message to the Philippine media. It added that with the alarming rate of journalist slays in the Philippines, Mr. Arroyo's "antics underscore the overall decline of official respect for press freedom in the country."
It added that the Filipino journalists should be encouraged to fight back and defend themselves against media harassments.
"If the presidential spouse intends to send a message that journalists who dare to cross him will face a libel suit, then the victims both the press and the people must push back with a stronger message that contempt of press freedom is contempt of the people," the group said.