“When the public’s right to know is threatened, and when the rights of free speech and free press are at risk, all of the other liberties we hold dear are endangered.” –Christopher Dodd
Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and writer Reynaldo Santos, Jr. each posted P100,000 bail before the Manila Regional Trial Court in relation to their cyber libel case, which is based on a story published about a certain Wilfredo Keng. In 1999, I posted P380,000 bail on 38 counts of libel filed by former Iloilo City Councilor Ramon Cua Locsin and the late Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) district officer Godofredo San Jose, Jr. My then-publisher, the late Marcos ‘Mark’ Villalon, and my co-defendant, columnist Wenceslao Mateo Jr., each posted the same amount.
My libel case stemmed from an article written by Mateo in Sun.Star Iloilo Daily, which centered on Locsin’s purported “conflict of interest” with regard to a lot intended for relocating informal settlers in Iloilo City’s Barangay So-oc, located in the Molo district. His analysis found Locsin appeared to benefit if such a purchase materialized. However, instead of writing a “Letter to the Editor” – like other forlorn public officials – the then-city councilor filed a libel case.
Like Ressa, who did not directly author the article about Keng, Villalon and myself were included in the charge as publisher and editor-in-chief, respectively.
Reporters Ednalyn Belonio, Ruby Silubrico, and Lorelie Panes were also included in the initial stages of the case but were later dropped.
San Jose entered the picture after Silubrico wrote a story about an incident at a local food court, where he was accused of tossing a P500 bill at a table of reporters – myself included. I ordered Fernando ‘Kapid’ Gabio and Francis Terania to immediately return the money and the matter was reported to the Mandurriao Police Station.
The BIR official was infuriated and insisted one of the reports at the table had demanded the money from him. When pressed, however, he was unable to identify the individual.
Aksyon Radyo station manager John Paul Tia, who was then serving as Bombo Radyo “Zona Libre” anchor, arranged a one-on-one meeting between myself and San Jose on his nightly program. I reminded the BIR official it was my first time meeting him and that I was present in response to an invitation.
San Jose’s libel case was dismissed.
Interestingly (and scandalously), all the libel cases filed by Locsin were quickly dispatched by the prosecutor’s office to court. To add insult to injury, most of the “libelous” articles were blind items written by different authors. Can malice (the main indicator of libel) be proven through blind items?
As the cases were being processed, I endured insults from adversaries and their allies. It took five years, from 1999 to 2004, to see all 38 cases dismissed. More than a triumph for press freedom, the situation exposed the inherent incompetence and corruption of those who would elevate such an issue to the court as they should have been dismissed at the prosecution level on grounds of being unsubstantial.
Ressa and Santos will be arraigned next month and they have both received tremendous support, with backers believing they are being “persecuted” due to a rift with President Rodrigo Duterte.
Most of their colleagues and sympathizers view the case as a method of stifling press freedom.
Although, there are still those who argue the president has nothing to do with it as the case was filed by Keng, a private businessman.
As long as democracy is alive and not raped by despotic rule, Ressa, Santos, and Rappler will surmount this crisis./WDJ