MANILA, Philippines—A Bohol-based newspaper associate editor almost got arrested despite a revoked arrest warrant over the weekend, a media group said Wednesday.
In a statement, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said Alfredo Amora, associate editor and columnist of Bohol Standard and member of Bohol Tri-Media Association, was in a funeral mass for his aunt at the Our Lady of Consolation church in Guindulman, Bohol last Saturday when arresting officers came to get him.
Amora was being arrested for a second libel case filed against him by Guindulman Mayor Fe Añana-Piezas, the NUJP said.
“I went out and had to explain it was my aunt’s funeral that day. I was able to persuade the police officers not to arrest me,” NUJP quoted Amora as saying, adding that he promised to show up at the Guindulman police station the next day.
When he arrived at the police station, Amora presented a copy of a court order dated February 21 which recalled a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Pablo Magdoza of Branch 48 of the Tagbiliran Regional Trial Court dated February 8, the NUJP said.
The group said the order stated that Amora had posted the P10,000 bail for his temporary freedom while the libel case is pending in court.
Local police confirmed of the attempt to arrest Amora through the February 8 warrant. But officer on duty Senior Police Officer 3 Bogs Janiola was quoted as saying that they only got confused in issuing the said warrant.
“A warrant of arrest should be returned to the issuing court 10 days from the date received, informing the court whether or not the subject was found and the warrant was served,” the NUJP said.
The second libel case reportedly stemmed from Amora’s column implicating the Piezas in a lending business reportedly operating inside the municipal hall, the NUJP said.
Amora told the NUJP that the first complaint filed in January 2011 against him was based on his columns about overpriced purchases by the town government as noted by the Commission on Audit.