by Raymond Africa
Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group yesterday arrested Malaya publisher Amado “Jake” Macasaet for a libel case filed against him nine years ago.
A CIDG team led by Senior Insp. Berlito de Guzman served the warrant on Macasaet, 72, in his Port Area, Manila office before noon.
The warrant was issued September 2 by Judge Emma Young of the Manila Regional Trial Court.
Macasaet was released after posting a P10,000 bail yesterday afternoon.
He said he was not aware that the nine-year-old libel case filed against him, executive editor Enrique Romualdez and editor in chief Joy de los Reyes nine years ago by former Rizal Gov. Casimiro Ynares and Narciso Santiago Jr., husband of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, had been revived.
Ynares is a brother of Supreme Court Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, who earlier called for an investigation in connection with a series of articles written by Macasaet about an unnamed lady justice who had allegedly received a P10 million bribe from a litigant.
The Supreme Court last month found Macasaet in indirect contempt of court and fined him P20,000.
Macasaet said he has nothing against the CIDG agents who he said were only doing their job.
“Kung hindi nila ise-serve ang warrant ay baka isipin pa ng judge na nagsasabwatan kami,” he said.
“Normally, after the information has been filed, I would be informed. Dapat nalaman ko so I could have prepared to post bail just like I am doing in other libel cases at hindi na nasayang pa ang efforts ng arresting police officers at ang time ko,” he added.
In all the other libel cases against Macasaet and the Malaya editors, their lawyers were informed that an information would be filed so that they could make arrangements beforehand.
Romualdez and De los Reyes were not yet in the office when the arresting officers arrived.
When Macasaet suggested that the officers wait for the two others, they said they had to bring him in right away.
Macasaet was brought to the office of Sr. Supt. Benito Estipona, CIDG deputy director for operations, where his papers were processed.
After fingerprinting, he was brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory for physical and medical examination.
“This is actually the first time na nangyari ito sa akin, that I have been arrested,” Macasaet said.
Before 3 p.m., Macasaet was accompanied to the Manila court by the arresting team, including Senior Supt. Benedicto Gorospe, chief of the CIDG-Detection and Special Operations Division.
The arrest warrant stemmed from one of two counts of libel filed by Ynares over a series of articles about a dispute between two groups of cockfighting aficionados, the United Cockers Association of the Philippines and the National Cockers Association.
Seven other counts of libel arising from the same series of articles were also filed by Narciso Santiago Jr. but these were dismissed for lack of merit.
Macasaet, Romualdez and De los Reyes are scheduled to be arraigned on October 6.
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said the arrest was a “logical” action of the libel case.
“The service of warrant of arrest on veteran journalist Jake Macasaet is a logical consequence of the pendency of a libel case. Every working, hard-nosed journalist, Jake being one, has his own share of such travails. It is axiomatic that Jake just like any other accused enjoys the constitutional presumption of innocence. The judicial process will take over from here on,” he said.
The Samahang Plaridel, a group of veteran journalists, said it was deeply concerned about Macasaet’s arrest.
“Macasaet is president of the Philippine Press Institute and director of Samahang Plaridel. His arrest could only mean that press freedom is threatened,” it said.
Administration Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. cautioned the government against cracking down on media men, especially those running opposition-leaning newspapers.
Revilla, chair of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, said: “There is a rising apprehension from the media sector that the almost succeeding arrest of publishers Jake Macasaet and Ninez Cacho-Olivarez is a calculated move to slowly curtail press freedom in the country.”
Revilla said the government should “take it easy” with journalists who have been accused of libel.
“Talagang may mga ulat na lubhang mapanirang-puri o lagpas na sa responsableng pagbabalita. Pero hindi ito sapat para sikilin natin ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag,” he said. – With Evangeline de Vera and Dennis Gadil
Statement of Sen. Francis Pangilinan:
Filed in 1999, to be prosecuted in 2008?
Motion to dismiss agad, for violation of the right to speedy trial.
Mr. Jake was treated like a criminal. Ang hilig umaresto ng mga Pulis ni Pidal (PNP) habang kumakain ang aarestuhin. Jonas style arrest!
Nearly 10 years ngayon lang inaresto. Wala bang trial limit ang kaso ng libel? Dapat yan ay matagal ng naka basura tulad ni Gloria.
Nakasilip na naman ng pang-harass ang Pidalismo administration sa media, katiting na reklamo na nangyari panahon pa ni Mahoma ay pinapatulan para patahimikin ang media.
Paging Atty. Efren Castro: Attorney, anong masasabi mo sa pag aresto kay Jake? Justice delayed is justice denied, hindi ba? Pinapatay talaga ninyo ang malayang pamamahayag. Kawawang Pilipinas!!!
Jake said he found out that another warrant of arrest is set to be issued tomorrow, on the same case, another sala. He will be posting bail again tomorrow.
Tounge, please check e-mail. There’s someone who would like to discuss with you something you posted here.
Another bail for the same case. If it’s not plain harassment, what is?!
At 72, bidang-bida na naman si Sir Jake. Mabuhay!
Why only now? The corrupt Arroyo government is harassing the media people particularly newspaper publishers critical to the government. Ninez Olivares of Daily Tribune and Jake Makasaet of Malaya were arrested for alleged libel. Who’s next?
As the end of the illegitimate term of the Evil Bitch approaches and 2010 election is near (if there will be one), the crazy dogs in the Palace are applying last minute harassment to the enemies. Imagine, Macasaet was arrested for a nine year old libel case. Why now?
Over at the Supreme Court, it upheld Neri’s petition invoking executive privilege. The decision was 9-6, quite close. Even if majority of the justices are GMA appointees, some had the conscience to rule against it.
Never in the history of the Philippines had media been harassed; the Highest Court sided with Malacanang and corruption this worst…not even during the Marcos regime. Marcos must be feeling envious in his grave.
Jake said he found out that another warrant of arrest is set to be issued tomorrow, on the same case, another sala. He will be posting bail again tomorrow.
************************************
Same case, two salas? Forum shopping na maliwanag. Parang GSIS yan. Endemic yan sa mga malalaking kumpanya – find a friendly judge. Yan ang nadining ko noon, habang nagpapa-interview para sa trabaho, bilang counsel ng isang multi-national.
Hindi kaya retarded ang pag iisip ng mga nag arrest kay Mr. Macasaet? Why did it take them so long..almost a decade? And in the case of Neri..matagal din ang decision ng Supreme Court? Kumuha na lang sana sila ng kampupot at tanungin..is he guilty or is he not?
..natawa ako..GMA cancelled her trip to the UN..because of pressing matters that need her attention…ay naku! natauhan na rin si putot…napahiya seguro (kung mayroon siyang hiya) Bush did not go to the Convention (malapit lang) to go where the disaster was..so did the others…o baka natakot siya makiharap sa ibang dignataries..baka may magsabi sa kanya..ask us not what we can do for your country..but ask what you can do for your country and what you are doing for your country…tell us what you are doing?
Judge for Sale…Justice for Sale…
Rose, those who caused the arrest of Macasaet were not only retarded but jack ass and nincompoops. Neri’s favorable decision has long been decided. SC only released it now. GMA canceled the US trip or it was Washington that canceled it?
Our justice system is broken.
I was shocked to hear about Mr Macasaet’s arrest. Pure harrasment !
I guess that Gloria’s US trip was cancelled by Washington. She made her supporter Bush mad. Imagine nga naman, she allowed US Amb Kenney to attend the Moa-Moa signing in Kuala Lumpur while it was just a stage show all along as planned by her best friend Gloria. In short, she had US and this time, Bush finally got and had it with her.
Sige lang Gloryuck.Mag-ipon ka lang ng kaso,after 2010 elections,maniningil kami sa yo.
Ellen, the case involves the feud between the United Cockers Association of the Phil and the National cockers Association. I remember vividly when this case was filed. The Gob. told me he didn’t want to file the case but he did out of pakikisama with Jun. The case was revived after JPM’s series of columns about a certain SC justice.
Or Gloria is no longer in the mood to party with the Clintons after Hillary lost the nomination. Remember, the bitch was to attend the Clinton Global Initiative Conference which was scheduled before the Dems convention.
Naghahanda na siyang magsipsip kay Barack.
If only to finally dump all this Evil Bitch’s connections in Washington, Obama should win. If it’s MacCain who she got to meet last time, she might have the same connection like with Bush.
Must be a mountain of archived warrants. They really need smart researchers.
At the height of Typhoon Frank and Sulpicio ship tragedy, the Evil Bitch refused to return to the country saying the government was in good hands. Now, she canceled her trip to US explaining she has to stay in the country due to the Mindanao crisis. We don’t hear her say again that the government is in good hands.
Last I heard, a number of students of the UP College of Law Batch 2010 will make it their going away project to volunteer for free legal help for the thousands of cases awaiting Gloria and her cabal the moment she steps down.
I suggest lawyers-alumni and from other school do the same. It’s about time Pilipinos unite for one good project.
On JPM’s arrest, the case is nine-years old, and filed by ex-Gov. Yñares and Miriam’s Jun Santiago. About this same time last year, I blogged about Ellen’s and Malaya’s articles about an alleged P50M bribery involving Asso Justice Yñares-Santiago. (Look at her maiden and present surnames!)
Ellen mentioned in her blog entry here that Jake Mac never mentioned her name, though TV Patrol and Newsbreak did.
It was the height of the broadband hearings when the bribery news came out no one was probably as interested then than now. About one year ago, and Jake Mac was held in contempt just the same just a few days ago.
To me, it looks like a double-bladed sword. They harass the very vocal critic/publisher of 2 widely read papers, and resurrect the skeletons of an uncooperative justice.
I haven’t seen yet how Yñares-Santiago voted on Neri’s executive privilege case but from all indications, she probably was against it. Tell me if I’m wrong please.
On JPM’s arrest, the case is nine-years old, and filed by ex-Gov. Yñares and Miriam’s Jun Santiago. About this same time last year, I blogged about Ellen’s and Malaya’s articles about an alleged P50M bribery involving Asso Justice Yñares-Santiago. (Look at her maiden and present surnames!)
Ellen mentioned in her blog entry here that Jake Mac never mentioned her name, though TV Patrol and Newsbreak did.
It was the height of the broadband hearings when the bribery news came out no one was probably as interested then than now. About one year ago, and Jake Mac was held in contempt just the same just a few days ago.
To me, it looks like a double-bladed sword. They harass the very vocal critic/publisher of 2 widely-read papers, and resurrect the skeletons of an uncooperative justice.
I haven’t seen yet how Yñares-Santiago voted on Neri’s executive privilege case but from all indications, she probably was against it. Tell me if I’m wrong, please.
Ow….ganun na nga. Thanks, Tongue. Kaya naghihintay lang ako sa iyong konek e, heheh!
In an attempt to convince people to consider Cha-Cha, Speaker Nograles said under the parliamentary form of government, former presidents like Cory, Ramos and Erap could be Prime Minister. I don’t know about the other two, but I know Ramos is itching to be one.
Frankly I don’t have compassion about journalists. They are dumbing Filipinos. They selectively report on the brown-skin-pyanga-pango-flared-nose-Filipinos but never hit the tisoys, tisays, intsik and mestizo and mestiza.
Has any columnists hit Ayala for his terrorist angle on Glorieta bombing contrary to the findings of CIA, FBI, NBI, ABC,DEF,GHI, Mossad and australian intelligence. Have they rediculed Ayala?
Has any mainstream media followed-up on MBCs invistigation of Ayala’s terrorist allegation?
Ha!hA!hA! 4th estate they claim the pen is mightier than the sword … SHOW ME YOUR PEN PEKENG PERIODISTAS!!!!
Terrorism is bane to economy. Ayala is the captain of industry. Ayala loves the terrorist angle. Therefore, Terrorism is good for economy.
Where are the pekeng-columnistas … they must have been paid already …
Ha!ha!ha!ha!
Justice Sabio and Joey de Venenta went to pekeng-periodistas instead to FBI-Academy-Trained-NBI agents to be wired.
On justice Sabio versus Tisoy MERALCO, pekeng-periodistas ferociously attacked Justice Sabio. Don’t heard a peek from pekeng-periodistas on MERALCO. Why? Because they are tisoys and tisays and mestizos and mestizas.
On Joey de Venenta versus GMA. Of course, they attacked GMA. Why? Because GMA is a Filipino same is true with Justice Sabio.
Pekeng-periodistas are anti-Filipino!!!!!
Now if Justice Sabio and Joey de Venenta are some bright boys. It’s beyond me why they didn’t go to NBI for them to be wired?
Because these two punks knew exactly how the pekeng-periodistas would react. They’d publish anything without vetting and fact checking. And most of all they are journalistically irresponsible.
A real journalists would have gone to NBI themselves to look into these before compromising the allegations.
DUH!!!! IT’S NO WONDER FILIPINS IS SO LEFT-BEHIND BECAUSE EVEN CEOS, MBC AND PERIODISTAS ARE SOOOO DUMB!!!!
Renato Pacifico Says:
September 6th, 2008 at 1:35 am
Frankly I don’t have compassion about journalists. They are dumbing Filipinos.
….Please don’t make a general statement. There are good journalists like the owner of this blog.
Better still to make a sweeping statement so good journalists will come out brandishing their pens protecting themselves and reporting what needs to be reported
Please Be Extremely Careful especially if using internet mail such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and so on.
This information arrived this morning direct from both Microsoft and Norton.
Please send it to everybody you know who has access to the Internet.
You may receive an apparently harmless email with a Power Point presentation ‘Life is beautiful.’
If you receive it DO NOT OPEN THE FILE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES , and delete it immediately .
If you open this file, a message will appear on your screen saying: ‘It is too late now, your life is no longer beautiful.’
Subsequently you will LOSE EVERYTHING IN YOUR PC and the person who sent it to
you will gain access to your name, e-mail and password.
This is a new virus which started to circulate on Saturday afternoon.
AOL has already confirmed the severity, and the anti virus software’s are not capable of destroying it.
The virus has been created by a hacker who calls himself ‘life owner.’
What a crap! Pati ma kaso pinakakakuwartahan ng mga magnananakaw. I bet you. Utos ni Gloria iyan in an attempt to cripple establishments against her, and frighten journalists who use their pens to fight graft and corruptions in their government and reveal the criminals posing as government officials of the Philippines. Pwe! Nakakahiya!
“The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”(Thomas Jefferson, 1787)
Chavit Singson, the most damaging of all viruses next to Gloria and Mike, is now the deputy national security adviser (NSA).
The country is now completely controlled by the Pidal Mafia. Now, why surprise why Manny Pacquiao is running for Congress.
He belongs to the group.
Correction: Why be surprised. I’m committing errors for being so upset.
Equalizer …
Good for Thomas Jefferson their journalists have a degree of personal and national responsibility. Most of all Americans are more discerning of what is crap and what’s not.
Filipinos are totally oblivious. Imagine this, according to Financial Post out of 386,000 graduates every year only 10% pass simple analytical test done by BPOs.
SIMPLE ANALYTICAL TEST!!!
These pekeng-periodistas most likely not have passed the 10% analytical test most of all simple IQ exam.
Filipinos need to be guided with a crack of a whip. Not by some 4th estate masquerading as professional journalist.
Filipinos are dooooomed!!!!
Oh, another thing, no need to quote some historical men, if your argument is logical, therefore, it’s correct regardless ….
Who are you trying to attack here, Renato Fuckcifico? You keep mentioning journalist as if to insinuate something or someone here.
Who’s this joker calling himself Renato Pacifico?
His attempts at being funny at the expense of his sanity is sickening, no, pathetic even…just sumdumguy who needs a good smack in the noggin…
“Most of all Americans are more discerning of what is crap and what’s not.”
Hahahahahahaha! Thats why they were duped into “shock and awing” Iraq, and getting thousands of their soldiers slaughtered like sitting ducks.
Hoy Renato Pacifico palayfay, its obvious that your behind has lost the initial soreness of offering it to the big, hairy, gringo…get some sleep…