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The lawyer of the President’s spouse, Jose Miguel
Arroyo, Tuesday asked a Manila court to dismiss the libel cases he
had filed against former senator Francisco Tatad and eight editorial
staff of Malaya newspaper, ABS-CBN News reported.
The report said Arroyo’s lawyer
filed a motion before Judge Silvino Pampilo of Branch 26 of the
Manila Regional Trial Court to dismiss the libel cases his client
lodged against Tatad and Malaya editorial staff members including
publisher Amado Macasaet and chief of reporters Ellen Tordesillas.
On May 19, 2004, Malaya published
an article stating that Arroyo was the administration’s chief
operator in its attempt to manipulate election results in favor of
President Arroyo. Tatad was the source of the Malaya story.
Arroyo denied he manipulated the
results of the 2004 presidential elections.
In his petition, the
President’s husband, who recently survived a high-risk open-heart
surgery, said that he wished to drop the libel cases following his
recovery.
He earlier withdrew the libel
cases he filed against 46 journalists as a “gesture of peace.”
Following a string of libel cases
filed by Arroyo, a group of journalists had filed a class suit
against him. The group said it will pursue the case against Arroyo
despite his decision to drop the charges.
-From ABS-CBN News
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