The case of Adonis brings to the open the debate for the decriminalization of libel, a law that the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) believes has been used to harass and threaten journalists and hamper their duties.
Unlike in other countries, libel in the Philippines is a criminal offense. Although there are efforts to decriminalize it, these have not progressed. In the meantime, journalists say the countr’ys libel law is being used by powerful individuals to harass and intimidate the press.
This week, Gemma Bagayaua, an editor at Newsbreak magazine, spent a night in jail in Pasig City after she was arrested by the police on a libel charge filed against her and her colleagues at the magazine by Luis “Chavit” Singson, an ally of the Arroyo administration who is running for the Senate in the May elections.
But, according to the NUJP, no other public figure used libel against journalists as much as Jose Miguel Arroyo, the president’s husband. Arroyo has filed libel cases against 43 journalists. These cases, the NUJP said in November, was meant to cow the media, a “brazen attack on press freedom” and may set an example for other public officials “to step up the use of libel” to silence critics.
“The trend is dangerous,” the NUJP said. “It not only tramples on the basic right to free expression and freedom of the press — it also opens the door to abuse of authority.”
In the case of Adonis, the probation law allows a “criminal sentenced to less than six years of prison to serve his sentence out of jail under certain conditions.”
But would Adonis, who was too poor to defend himself in court in the first place, have the energy and the money to go through the motion of applying for probation when his enemies, according to him, are bent on blocking it?
“If Lex Adonis only had the money for a lawyer, do you think he would end up in jail right now?” Solis, of DXDC, asked. “I think the greatest mistake Adonis ever did was he remained poor.” (Germelina A. Lacorte/davaotoday.com)
[tags]davao today, libel, prospero nograles, burlesque king, bombo radyo, lex adonis [/tags]
