RAIDERS OF THE PRESS

RAIDERS OF THE PRESS

Exceedingly disgusted over arrest attempt 

on ALAM chair for libel at Press Freedom grounds

I, the president of Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM), and its more than 30,000 members nationwide, are exceedingly disgusted over the blatant violation of press freedom committed no less than by the Manila City Hall police detachment and its head, Chief Inspector Ladera.

Ladera's team invaded National Press Club's grounds to arrest ALAM chairman Jerry S. Yap for two counts of libel filed police Senior Inspector Rizalino Ibay Jr.

As if these cops were going to a battalion of rebels when they stormed the press freedom grounds to arrest Yap, ALAM secretary Edwin Alcala and Hataw editor-in-chief Gloria Galuno.

Prior to the service of arrest warrant, Yap wrote in his column for three consecutive days about the alleged Janet Napoles of the Judicial who was identified by him as Arlene Lerma.

With that, the very unusual service of arrest warrant, using the whole company of Manila City Hall detachment policemen happened.

Ibay filed four counts of libel against Yap, Alcala, Galuno and me in connection with opinion articles written by Yap in his column "Bulabugin."

The Office of the City Prosecutor of Manila dismised the case against me but filed cases in court against the rest.

In the morning of October 17, 2013, my staffers at my law office checked the cases filed by the Office of the City Prosecutor and there was no action yet done by the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 16, on whether to issue warrants of arrest. But in the afternoon of the day, a company of cops raided Hataw offices located at the NPC grounds.