In Philippines, president�s husband withdraws 46 libel suits

New York �Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has withdrawn 46 criminal libel suits he had filed against 11 journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed today�s news but said the suits should never have been brought.

Withdrawal of the cases�which came because Arroyo was �grateful for surviving a delicate open-heart surgery with a very low survival rate� according to today�s government announcement�shows the cavalier attitude with which the cases were brought in the first place.

In total, Arroyo had sought damages in excess of 70 million pesos (US$1.4 million), according to news reports. Many of the cases were related to allegations in the media that Arroyo helped rig the closely contested 2004 elections�a charge he strongly denied. Penalties for criminal libel convictions in the Philippines also include imprisonment of six months to six years.

�Launching multiple lawsuits against professional journalists was a clear sign that those in power wanted use the country�s legal system to harass journalists who dared challenge the Arroyo administration,� said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.

In December, 36 journalists filed a counter lawsuit against Arroyo, accusing him of harassing the country�s media. That case is pending. Libel complaints are a favorite tactic of Philippine officials unhappy with critical media coverage. In response to politicians� use of criminal libel suits, a coalition of more than 600 journalists and 30 local and foreign international media freedom organizations issued a joint petition calling for decriminalization of libel.

CPJ is a New York�based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

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