New York, March 7, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists denounces Wednesday’s arrest of Gemma Bagauaya, editor of the online newsmagazine Newsbreak in a 100 million peso (US$2 million) libel case filed by Ilocos Sur provincial governor Luis Singson. Newsbreak Managing Editor Glenda Gloria and Editor-in-chief Marites Vitug were also charged by Singson. “The authorities in…
New York, February 20, 2007—Hernani Pastolero, 64, editor-in-chief of the community newspaper Lightning Courier Weekly, was shot dead in front of his home Monday morning in Sultan Kudarat township, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Pastolero was shot twice in the head by an unidentified assassin who escaped on foot, according to local media…
New York, February 16, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the government of Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to drop sedition charges against critical The Daily Tribune publisher and two columnists. In its February 14 case against publisher Ninez Cacho-Olivares and columnists Ramon Señeres and Herman Tiu-Laurel, the government said their writing could “lead…
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…