PHILIPPINES The Philippines remained one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists, but it also became one of the more litigious as numerous criminal defamation lawsuits were filed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s husband and other political figures. A deteriorating political situation and increased security concerns in February led Arroyo to declare a state…
New York, December 21, 2006–The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the killing of Philippines radio broadcaster Andres Acosta, which police believe may be linked to his work. He was stabbed to death Wednesday in the town of Batac, 240 miles (390 kilometers) north of Manila. “We join our colleagues in the Philippines in mourning the…
New York, December 8, 2006—Two unidentified gunmen killed Ponciano Grande, 53, a former newspaper columnist and occasional co-host of a radio variety show, at his farm on Thursday in Cabantuan City, in Central Luzon. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating to determine whether the killing was related to Grande’s work as a journalist. Two…
New York, December 4, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists said today it was investigating whether the shooting of journalist Arnie Pullan on the central Philippine island of Iloilo was related to his work as a radio host. An unidentified gunman shot and seriously wounded Pullan on December 1 as he left the station of MBC-Radio…
New York, October 19, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrests of nine Philippine journalists with the English-language daily Malaya in connection with a criminal libel suit filed by Jose Miguel Arroyo, husband of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Silvino Pampilo on Monday ordered the arrests of publisher Amado Macasaet; editors…
New York, October 6, 2006-The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes today’s conviction and sentencing of three people in the 2005 murder of investigative reporter Marlene Garcia-Esperat, but it calls on the government to aggressively pursue the prosecution of those who allegedly ordered the killing. CPJ also urged authorities to redouble their efforts in investigating the…