Zamboanga City council scraps resolution vs journalist
By Julie Alipala
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:53:00 08/12/2008
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines— The Zamboanga City Council has recalled a resolution declaring a GMA-7 website correspondent persona non grata over what it called inflammatory reports on the Mindanao conflict.
The resolution against journalist Al Jacinto was formally withdrawn during the city council session on Tuesday, Vice Mayor Mannix Dalipe said.
He told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the council withdrew the resolution, upon recognizing Jacinto’s apology expressed in his letters to the mayor and the city council.
Mayor Celso Lobregat earlier defended the resolution as a reaction to Jacinto’s articles published on the GMA-7 news website.
But the resolution drew criticism and opposition from local, national and international media organizations. The International Federation of Journalists called on the city council to withdraw the resolution and apologize to Jacinto.
Jacinto earlier said his work and his children have been affected by the brouhaha.
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