Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.
Lead Philippines: Can't believe this is still happening in the country. If the government does nothing, I won't be...
Keith Bacongco: who could we forget Alecks here in Mindanao... aside from PCIJ trainings, he also helped us a lot...

Latest Message 3 days, 15 hours ago

hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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Journalists welcome, criticize Mike Arroyo’s dropping of libel cases

Posted by: Isa Lorenzo | May 3, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Filed under: In the News, Media

FIRST Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo has ordered his lawyers to withdraw all the libel suits he has filed against Filipino journalists as a gesture of peace.

“Both in sincere gratitude to a nation that deserves a more harmonious leadership, and as a gesture of peace to the many kind hearts who have helped my family weather this crisis, I have instructed my attorneys to withdraw all the libel suits pending before the courts,” said Arroyo.

The statement, read by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye in a briefing at Malacañang this morning to coincide with the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, was both welcomed and criticized by his detractors, which included many of the journalists against whom he had filed libel cases.

Forty-six journalists had been named respondents in over 50 libel cases filed by the First Gentleman since 2003.

Doctors advised Arroyo to avoid stressful activities, as he will continue to undergo cardiac therapy. He was discharged last Tuesday from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City after recuperating from aneurysmectomy and triple heart bypass surgery.

“Apparently, Mike Arroyo’s near-death experience made him see the light. I hope the libel suits were not the only ones he saw,” said Malaya columnist and senior reporter Ellen Tordesillas. Tordesillas had been dropped from the original list of respondents in a libel case filed by Arroyo, but she was later reinstated.

Another libel respondent, Newsbreak editor in chief Maritess Vitug, said that they were glad that Arroyo has seen the light. “But he should never have filed these cases in the first place. We would like this matter to be resolved on its merits. This will provide journalists with parameters on libel and what it is not.”

Malaya publisher and Philippine Press Institute president Amado “Jake” Macasaet said that he wished that Arroyo had not opted to drop libel charges for commentaries that he believed were fair and involved issues of public interest.

“Dropping the charges may ease the conscience of Mr. Arroyo as he intended it to be. But freedom of the press should not be held hostage by any individual’s whims or perceived affront to his person, character or dignity,” Macasaet said.

The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) welcomed Arroyo’s statement, but said that it would rather credit journalists for pushing back, instead of the First Gentleman for any change of heart.

“The very act of filing 40-plus cases was the crime,” said Roby Alampay, SEAPA executive director. “He is not fooling anyone, just as he is not scaring anyone.”

Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot also welcomed Arroyo’s announcement, but added that the Inquirer was ready to fight the case in court.

Lawyer Harry Roque advised journalists who had filed a class suit against Arroyo to proceed with their suit. “At issue is freedom of speech as a right. It’s not dependent on the acts of Mike Arroyo. Besides, he has already caused damage both actual and moral.”

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) challenged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare urgent the passage of a law decriminalizing libel “to prevent a recurrence of a similarly brazen and ham-fisted and, ultimately, futile attempt to harass the media.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 3rd, 2007 and is filed under In the News, Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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