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TWO media organizations, the Center for Media Freedom and
Responsibilty (CMFR) and National Union of Journalist of the
Philippines (NUJP), have filed a petition for habeas corpus before
the Supreme Court in behalf of broadcaster Alexander Adonis who
remains incarcerated at the Davao Prisons and Penal Farm despite
having posted a P5, 000 bail for his libel case.
At the same time, the National Press Club (NPC)
on Sunday also expressed its support to Adonis as it challenged
House Speaker Prospero Nograles to also do the same and help work
out for the immediate release of Adonis to show that there is truth
to the Arroyo government’s avowed resolve to uphold press freedom.
In a 14-page petition, the CMFR and NUJP said
that Adonis was being “unlawfully deprived of his liberty.”
Named respondent was Supt. Venancio Tesoro, director of the Davao
Prisons and Penal Farm.
“Considering both the discharge order as well
as the bail that petitioner had already posted, it was
respondent’s ministerial duty to release petitioner on temporary
liberty.” CMFR and NUJP’s lawyer Harry Roque said.
The Davao City regional trial court handling
Adonis case has ordered his release on May 26. But Tesoro refused to
heed the court’s order for no valid and lawful reason, saying that
he has to inform first “higher authorities” before releasing
Adonis.
In a statement, the NPC Press Freedom Committee
said that as the fourth highest official of the land, Nograles
carries with him the burden of showing the government’s
respect for free press by downgrading the speaker’s criminal
complaint of libel against Adonis to a “civil offense.’’
“While we are aware that it was House Speaker
Nograles with whom Mr. Adonis had had serious disagreement in the
past that led to our colleague’s imprisonment, the NPC would also
like to remind the House Speaker that his new position has already
added to him the greater burden of showing to our people the
authorities’ commitment to press freedom,’’ the NPC said.
In January 2007, the Davao regional trial court
sentenced Adonis, 44, to five years and six months in jail after he
went into hiding and failed to present his side on the libel case
Nograles filed against him in 2001. Adonis said he had no money to
pay a lawyer.
The case stemmed from the reports and
commentaries made by Adonis relative to the “Burlesque King’’
scandal. Court records show that the reports tagged Nograles as the
congressman allegedly seen running naked in a hotel in Manila after
the husband of the solon’s paramour caught them in bed.
Nograles had earlier filed a bill
decriminalizing libel.
The NPC said that Adonis’ continued detention
despite a valid court order makes hollow the government’s
commitment in upholding the freedom of the press.
The petitioners also pointed out that Adonis
“in fact had already been granted parole by the Bureau of Pardon
and Parole and the pending case for libel now with Branch 14 of the
city’s regional trial court—as it arises from the same act for
which he was convicted for libel in the first case—should not be a
bar to his employment of the parole already granted him.” the
petitioner said.
-- William B. Depasupil
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