Contempt rap on massacre case tagged freedom threat

DAVAO CITY – THE TORONTO-BASED International Freedom of Expression Exchange (Ifex) has joined mounting calls for the Court of Appeals (CA) to withdraw contempt charges against a journalists’ group leader and widow of a victim of the Maguindanao massacre, who questioned the inconsistency of two CA justices on petitions filed by two key massacre suspects.

Rowena Paraan, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) secretary-general, and Monette Salaysay, widow of massacre victim Napoleon, pointed to the alleged inconsistency of CA Associate Justices Banton Bueser and Marlene Gonzales-Sison.

Paraan and Salaysay, as quoted in news reports, expressed incredulity at why the two justices inhibited themselves from a petition by former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. to be excluded from the list of accused, but took part in deliberations on a similar petition filed by his son, suspended ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan. Both are primary suspects in the Nov. 23, 2009, massacre.

Bueser and Sison are members of the CA special division that heard pleadings related to the case. In April, the division asked Paraan and Salaysay to explain why they should not be cited in contempt for “foisting bias and corruption” against the court.

“We accept that there is a need to protect the courts against statements that might undermine the fairness of proceedings, such as intimidation of witnesses,” said Ifex in a letter to CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and all associate CA justices.

“But we feel confident that Philippine courts are able to withstand strong, even unfair, criticism and yet render justice,” said the group.

Ifex also expressed alarm over the chilling effect the contempt resolution would bring to journalists and other advocates of justice for the massacre victims.

“We urge the justices to instead recognize the obligation of the judiciary to uphold the right to freedom of expression,” the group said.

In Davao City, the NUJP Davao chapter expressed alarm over what it called “harassment” of an Inquirer correspondent who wrote a series of reports on anomalies at the Bureau of Customs.

Jessie Casalda, chair of the NUJP Davao chapter, said the paid ad posted by the Customs Collectors’ Association of the Philippines (CCAP) in a broad sheet against Inquirer Mindanao correspondent Jeffrey Tupas was a ploy to silence journalists.

“It has become a risk for journalists to write stories of alleged anomalies,” Casalda said.

“Instead of facing the issue … CCAP came out with paid advertisement against Tupas,” Casalda added. With a report from Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao