MANILA, Philippines – The arrest of veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr. over a cyber libel complaint over the weekend serves as a “warning” for journalists, his lawyer said on Sunday, October 25.
“Philip is free, but what happened to him must not be forgotten. A 72-year-old journalist was handcuffed and detained over a complaint he had never been given the chance to see before and answer,” Lustre’s lawyer, Dino de Leon, said in a press statement.
“For every journalist watching, it is a warning,” he added.
Quezon City police arrested Lustre after he attended a media forum in a QC restaurant on Saturday, October 24, by virtue of a warrant issued by Branch 10 of Davao City’s Regional Trial Court. Lustre confirmed in a social post early Sunday that the complaint did not identify the complainant, and that he was unaware of the complaint lodged against him.
The 72-year-old is the author behind Kill, Kill, Kill: Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines, which documents former president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs.
Must Read Veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr. arrested for alleged cyber libel
De Leon said that recent events, including Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte‘s cyber libel complaint against GMA Network over its report on bribery allegations against him and his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, mirrored the harassment suffered by media during the Rodrigo Duterte presidency.
“Big corporations like GMA-7 or ordinary citizens like Lustre, idedemanda kayo ng mga Duterte. Tatakutin kayo. Ganyan ang mensahe ng mga Duterte. At kung makakabalik sila sa puwesto, candidate kayo para i-tokhang, kagaya ng ginawa nila sa 67 na abogado, mga journalists, at mga human rights workers nung panahon ni Rodrigo Duterte” De Leon said.
(Big corporations like GMA-7 or ordinary citizens like Lustre, you will be sued by the Dutertes. They will intimidate you. That’s the message of the Dutertes. And if they return to power, you’ll be a candidate for tokhang, just as they had done to 67 lawyers, journalists, and human rights workers during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte.)
‘Laws protecting reputation must never be used to harass journalists’
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS), meanwhile, expressed support for Lustre’s welfare, access to legal counsel, communication with his family, and medical assistance, given that he is a senior citizen.
“We urge the prompt handling of any application for bail in accordance with applicable rules, with due consideration for his age and welfare. His reported lack of prior knowledge of the complaint also warrants clarification through the appropriate legal processes,” PTFOMS said in its statement.
With Lustre’s arrest coming just a day after Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte filed a cyber libel complaint against several GMA Network journalists, PTFOMS also stressed that “laws protecting reputation must never be used to harass journalists, suppress legitimate criticism, or obstruct the public’s access to information.”
“The threat of arrest, prolonged litigation, and substantial legal expenses can discourage journalists from pursuing important stories even before a complaint is resolved,” it said.
It also said that it will coordinate with De Leon and the concerned authorities to gather official information on Lustre’s arrest. – Rappler.com
