Media watchdog condemns Philippine editor libel verdict

MANILA, Philippines – An international media watchdog slammed the prison sentence of a Philippine newspaper editor found guilty of libeling the president’s former lawyer, saying Friday that the case against her was undemocratic.

The Makati Regional Trial court on Thursday sentenced Niñez Cacho Olivarez, editor and publisher of The Daily Tribune, to two years in prison and ordered her to pay damages to Arthur Villaraza and his law firm for an article alleging he tried to extort money from a building company.

The June 2003 article written by Olivarez was based on a purported recording of Villaraza – formerly President Arroyo’s lawyer – and a German company that won a bid for a new airport terminal.

The law firm argued that the story was baseless and maligned its reputation. Judge Winlove Dumayas found the article “defamatory” and “attended with malice.”

Olivarez called the ruling “an injustice.” Her lawyer, Alexis Mina, said they would appeal, and the court allowed Olivarez to post bail.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Olivarez’s conviction and expressed hope it would be overturned.

Bob Dietz, Asia coordinator for the group, said in a statement that “it is high time for a democratic country like the Philippines to remove the threat of imprisonment for journalists by decriminalizing libel.”

He noted that Olivarez is a well-known critic of Arroyo administration, which has also filed sedition charges against her and two columnists that are still pending.

The Tribune has frequently reported on alleged government corruption. In February 2006, police raided the newspaper’s offices when Arroyo declared a state of emergency to quell a coup plot.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said earlier that the ruling highlighted “the urgency of decriminalizing and improving our antiquated libel law.”

Media groups say politicians in the Philippines often abuse the 106-year-old libel law to silence critics. Under the law, violators can be fined or sentenced to up to six years in prison.  – AP