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By Maricel V. Cruz, Reporter
Amado “Jake” Macasaet, publisher of Malaya,
was arrested and detained Thursday in Camp Crame in connection with
a libel suit filed against him by former Rizal Governor Casimiro
Ynares nine years ago.
Members of the police’s Criminal Investigation
and Detection Group arrested the 72-year-old publisher as he was
having lunch at the Century Park Sheraton in Pasay City.
The arrest warrant stemmed from the libel suit
filed by Ynares over a series of columns written by Macasaet about
two competing cockfighting groups, one of which was headed by the
former governor. The columns were published in Malaya and its sister
publication, Abante, between March and April 1999.
The warrant was served by Senior Superintendent
Benedicto Gorospe and issued by Judge Emma Young of the Manila
Regional Trial Court.
Macasaet was detained for more than an hour inside the office of
Senior Superintendent Benny Estipona, deputy director for
operations, after undergoing a “brief investigation.”
The publisher was later released after posting a
P10,000 bail.
Rallying around Jake
Jerry Yap, president of the Alyansa ng
Pilipinong Mamahayag and director of the National Press Club, said
the arrest and detention of Macasaet was “pure harassment.”
“We find it unusual that Macasaet was arrested
and even detained at the PNP [Philippine National Police]
headquarters for a libel case,” Yap said, adding that the police
and the press club earlier signed a memorandum of agreement
guaranteeing that no journalist can be arrested without coordination
with the media club.
Yap said that the Supreme Court had also issued
a memorandum circular stressing that no journalists can be arrested
or even detained for a libel case.
Another press organization, the Samahang
Plaridel, also condemned the arrest. “Mr. Macasaet is a leader of
Philippine Press Institute and director of Samahang Plaridel Inc.
His arrest could only mean that press freedom is threatened,” it
said in a statement
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