Bryanton Post

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) came out today with the statement below:

IFJ calls for more action to dismantle the "culture of impunity" of the Philippines

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is heartened by news of the arrest of a suspected journalist murderer, but has called for more action from the Philippines government to end the culture of impunity about journalist murders in the Philippines.

According to local reports police have arrested one of two suspects in the murder of photojournalist Albert Orsolino who was murdered on May 16, 2006.

"We are finally seeing some concrete action by President Gloria Arroyo and her government to address the shocking number of journalists who have been killed in the Philippines," IFJ President Christopher Warren said.

"But more needs to be done to send the message loud and clear that journalist murderers will be caught and prosecuted," Warren said.

"Nearly 50 journalists have been killed under Arroyo's rule, and this is a step in the right direction to finding the perpetrators of these targeted crimes and bringing them to justice. The IFJ hopes that the recent arrest of the suspect in Orsolino's murder is a positive sign of things to come," Warren said.

"These are small victories in the long struggle towards press freedom and safety for journalists in the Philippines," he said.

The IFJ, the organisation representing more than 500,000 journalists in over 115 countries, calls on the Philippines government to put in place practical actions to dismantle the culture of impunity that has flourished under Arroyo's rule.

At its fifth annual congress, held August 27 to 28 in Tagaytay City, IFJ affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) remained "unbowed" and determined to continue to fight for the rights and lives of journalists in the Philippines.

"It is inspiring to see the growing numbers of committed journalists who stand up for a free press in the face of danger, threats, intimidation and assaults," Warren said.

"The NUJP, through its dedication to journalists' safety and enhancing the working and economic conditions for journalists in the Philippines, is a vital support network for the Filipino media in their struggle. The IFJ commends the NUJP on their valuable work."

The NUJP also elected a new set of directors and officers. The IFJ sends its warm congratulations to the newly elected team, and our heartfelt thanks to the outgoing team.

Do you wonder where your favorite musicians get their names from? This site contains origins of the names of various bands and artists. I'm not sure if the site's information is 100 percent accurate, though. So, feel free to comment, especially if you know a lot about the names too.

Here are some of the site's entries:

The Beatles - A few stories floating around about this one. Stuart Sutcliffe came up with The Beetles in 1960, which was evidently a play on Buddy Holly's Crickets. They went by The Quarrymen and The Silver Beetles awhile later, then shortened and mutated that to The Beatles. Lennon and Sutcliffe may have also been influenced by the film "The Wild One", which featured a motorcycle gang called the Beetles. John Lennon is generally credited with combining Beetles and Beat to come up with The Beatles spelling. Lennon was also fond of saying he had a vision as a child of a flaming pie in the sky that said "You are Beatles with an "A"...

Black Sabbath - they were originally a cover band called Earth. The band saw Boris Karloff's 1963 horror movie "Black Sabbath" one night and were inspired to call their first original song "Black Sabbath". They found out at a gig that there was another band called "Earth", so they changed their name to Black Sabbath.

Blink 182 - They were originally called Blink, but were forced to change their name because a techno band from Ireland was already called that. 182 doesn't actually mean anything. The band has helped start rumors about 182 like: Al Pacino said "fuck" 182 times in Scarface, Al Pacino said "fuck" 182 times in "The Godfather", etc. Source = interviews with the band.

Blur - The band was originally called "Seymour", but a condition of their record deal was they had to pick a new name from a list that the label supplied. "Blur" was on the list.

Bon Jovi - A mutation of Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Bongiovi, Jr.

Chemical Brothers - They were originally named "The Dust Brothers" after the famous American producers until the real Dust Brothers caught wind of this. "Chemical Brothers" was derived from a song of theirs called "Chemical Beat", which was allegedly inspired by all the drugs in the clubs they played.

Dream Theater - They originally met in Boston and called themselves MAJESTY. That had to change because of another band with the same name. Mike's father suggested the name Dream Theater as taken from a movie house in Monterey, California.

They had to drop their original name "Majesty" due to copyright problems and named themselves after a theater in their LA neighborhood.

Foo Fighters - David Grohl was fascinated by the Roswell incident and sci-fi in general. He decided to name his new project after a slang expression used in World War II by US pilots to describe the alien-looking fireballs they sometimes saw over Germany (specifically, betueen Hagenau in Alsace-Lorraine and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse in the Rhine Valley). Foo is a mutation of the French word for fire, "fue". Sources: the band's official website and an NME biography.

Guns and Roses - From Axyl Rose and Tracii Guns' names. Some think it's a combination of LA Guns and Hollywood Roses.

INXS - Three members are brothers with the last name Farriss. They narrowly decided on INXS over Farriss Brothers. INXS is a cool way to spell "In Excess", which they hoped their music would be. There is an old story that their girlfriends approached XTC saying their boyfriends were in a band called the "Farris Brothers" and they wish their name was as cool as XTC's.

Iron Maiden - nasty medieval torture device.

Megadeth - Dave Mustane was inspired by a government pamphlet after getting kicked out of Metallica. A Megadeath is a military term for one million dead people, so World War II was responsible for 80 Megadeath. Megadeth is the phonetic spelling for Megadeath.

MxPx - Their original name was Magnified Plaid. On a poster for one of their shows, the guitarist put M.P., but the periods looked like little x's so people thought they were MxPx. The nickname stuck.

Pantera - Their first name was Pantego, the name of a Texas town. Pantera is Portuguese for Panther.

Pearl Jam - A couple variations: 1- Eddie's grandma (who's name is Pearl) used to make good jam 2- Eddie's grandma used to make peyote jam. Rumour has it the band almost named themselves "Mookie Blaylock" after their favorite basketball player.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - They were originally called "Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem". Anthony Kiedis says he was inspired to change the name to the Red Hot Chili Peppers after seeing "a psychedelic bush with band's name on it". It may be a coincidence, but the famous pimp and piano player Jelly Roll Morton had a band called Red Hot Peppers in the 1920's.

Sepultura - The singer was inspired when translating the Motorhead song "Dancing on your Grave", which is "Dancando Na Sepultura" in Portuguese.

Sex Pistols - Malcom Mclaren came up with the name. It was partially inspired by his wife's punk clothing shop called "Sex".

Silverchair - A mutated combination of "Sliver" by Nirvana and "Berlin Chair" by You Am I. They were requesting the songs from a radio station and the name was inspired by notes a band member made to himself to remember the song titles.

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Siouxsie volunteered to play a gig at the 100 Club and had one night to think of a name. They saw the 1970 Vincent Price movie "Cry of the Banshee". Adam Ant and Sid Vicious were also Banshees for that first gig.

Skunk Anansie - Anansie is a creature in Jamaican folklore who is half man, half spider, and always a prankster. Skunk refers to either good marijuana or the smelly little black and white animals.

Smashing Pumpkins - A few stories and plenty of BS around this one: Billy Corgan claims Gene Simmons told him in a dream that "Joe Strummer is a pumpkin, drunken and smashed". Corgan has also claimed he meant "smashing" as an adjective, as in "daring pumpkins". Billy Corgan's home town is known for its pumpkins. The name is a rumored revenge against his home town an ex-girlfriend who said he would be there for the rest of his life.

Read more here.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has just concluded its 5th National Congress last August 27 and 28 in Tagaytay City. Here's the group's statement:

Unbowed

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) wraps up its 5th Congress held August 27 to 28 in Tagaytay City secure in the knowledge that the free and independent Philippine media's staunch defense of freedom of the press and of expression has expanded the frontlines with more committed journalists rallying to the cause.

But at the same time, this Congress also reflected the sober realities journalists face as the war against civil liberties in the country appears to have intensified and reached a more vicious stage.

As our keynote speaker, the venerable Vergel O. Santos (chair of the board of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility -- Bryanton Post), reminded us in the wake of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales' ominous pronouncement about the supposed communist infiltration of the media, "We may even be in bigger trouble than we think."

As he so aptly pointed out, the 50 or so journalists slain since Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo came to power "are enough to staff one national daily and that, therefore, their murder means the silencing of one potential collective voice of public conscience…silenced for precisely doing what it is in its perfect nature to do so – speak."

Not to mention the often odious working conditions and even more odious economic benefits so many of our colleagues, especially those in the frontlines, the provinces where the calling to serve the people's right to know is most needed, have to bear with.

And there among us, delegates to the NUJP's highest policy-making body, were living proof of the risks and dangers we face.

Tony Abejo of the NUJP's Ozamiz chapter is publisher and editor of the Malindang Tribune, a family-run community paper in Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental.

Carolina Montilla of the NUJP-Tacloban is publisher/editor of the Eastern Times, based in Leyte's capital city and serving Eastern Visayas. Maureen Japzon is an editor and feature writer of the community paper and, incidentally, was voted by the Congress to the NUJP National Directorate.

Last Friday, the eve of his travel to Tagaytay, Abejo received no less than eight text messages on his cellular phone, warning him to "be cautious" and, eventually, suggesting that he divide what little wealth he had among his wife and children because he would "rest in peace."

Tony can only think of one reason for the ominous messages: Retribution for using his newspaper as a platform to rail away at official incompetence and corruption.

Indeed, for Tony, threats have been a constant companion for the last 14 years. This time, though, he acknowledged, they appeared to be striking closer to home, the venom seemingly more potent than before.

Not that he fears as much for himself as for the future of the harbinger of truth he has worked so hard to establish if those who seek to slay him – and the truth along with him – succeed.

Roli Montilla is no stranger to the dangers that face the Philippine press either.

When Martial Law was declared, her colleagues at the national daily she used to work for had to all but bodily shove her out of the country to escape the wrath of the dictatorship.

She returned from exile and to the profession she loves. Only to find that the dangers she faced then remain and have, in fact, grown in the midst of our supposedly restored democracy.

It is not only Roli who is at risk but practically everyone who works for and with her at the Eastern Times.

In July, a Samar-based columnist for her paper received a letter bordered in black ribbon from an "Anti-Communist League" telling him to "regret what you have done." Since then, Roli told the Congress, the columnist has reported being trailed by motorcycle-riding men, the dreaded common thread in the pattern of murders that has ravaged the ranks of both the Philippine press and legal dissenters.

As have two of her staff reporters in Tacloban, one of them treated to the sight of an arrogantly flaunted bulge at the waist.

Roli and Maureen have been receiving text threats regularly.

That Tony, and Roli and Maureen, notwithstanding the personal worries that weighed heavy on them, showed up at the Congress and lent their time and experience to strengthening the NUJP is a tribute to their courage and dedication and the truism that, indeed, real strength lies in unity.

The unity of those who share the same dream of a free and independent Philippine press serving the people's right to know and their right to free expression, the unity of those who together wage battle against those who seek to stamp out the truth in pursuit of selfish interests.

Tony, Roli, Maureen, the writers of the Eastern Times and all of our threatened colleagues are what the International Federation of Journalists fittingly paid tribute to, Filipino journalists who "continue to strive for increased professionalism and a strong, independent and free media" and "defend the public's right to know, despite regular and violent attacks from all sides."

They are, as Vergel Santos fittingly observed, "freedom's last line of defense" in the face of "one evidently desperate president," a national security adviser "out of an old dangerous mold of official enforcers – those programmed to feel more needed as their bosses feel more insecure," their favorite general, "who seems to relish being called 'executioner' as an affirmation of efficiency – efficiency in a barbaric sense," and a government gripped by an "official cold-bloodedness and twisted sense of retributive proportion."

Our threatened colleagues are the raison d'etre of the NUJP. They ARE the NUJP. And they are the best proof that, at the end of this arduous path, the Philippine press and the Filipino people we serve will emerge unbowed, triumphant.

And speaking of libel suits, here's a collection of recent reports on libel prepared by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility. Hmm. How come PAGASA didn't inform us that we're going to experience a heavy downpour of libel suits?

Solon files libel vs. local journalist A local journalist was recently slapped with libel by a congressman in Pampanga, 80 kilometers north of Manila.

Dante Fabian, a Sun.Star Pampanga reporter, was sued by Pampanga Rep. Francis Nepomuceno over three stories on the alleged P19-million water pipes scam in Pampanga’s first district, which the official represents.

In his complaint filed last 03 August, Nepomuceno called the stories a form of “malicious reporting.”

Narciso Sula, the paper’s general manager, said Fabian was “singled out” while one of the sources of the stories, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Nepomuceno’s longtime political rival, was spared from litigation.

Members of the Pampanga Press Club condemned Nepomuceno’s filing of libel as an apparent attempt to harass a member of the press.

Nepomuceno denied using the libel suit to harass Fabian.

“If I had wanted to harass him I would not have resorted to this legal process,” he told the Manila-based Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday. “All I want from [Fabian] is fair reporting.”

He said Lazatin and the others liable for the “defamatory” stories would be given their day in court. The paper was not cited as a respondent.

But Fabian said he had always gone out of his way to seek Nepomuceno’s side. Always, he said, Nepomuceno did not reply.

His reports, Fabian said, were based on the official letters of local village leaders who claimed they did not receive water pipes distributed in 2005 by the Department of Public Works and Highways and funded by Nepomuceno’s priority development assistance fund (PDAF), more commonly known as “pork barrel fund.”

In his complaint, Nepomuceno said at least five investigation reports from the Office of the Ombudsman for Luzon, Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and the Commission on Audit’s regional office “confirmed my innocence and that the alleged anomaly that they were trying to impute unto me were proved baseless.”

Fabian said there was reason to pursue the story because village leaders continued to report the non-delivery of the water pipes.

Lazatin said he exposed the supposed anomaly in light of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s campaign against graft.

“[Fabian] should not have been sued. Nobody should be sued because there are documentary evidences [which show] that something went wrong,” Lazatin said.

He said it was not Nepomuceno but the officials’ employees who should be compelled to make a proper accounting of the “missing pipes.” (based on reports by the Inquirer News Service).
Deposed president files US$0.6-M libel vs. broadsheet

Former President Joseph Estrada filed a P30-million (US$582,000) libel suit against the staff a Manila-based newspaper and two individuals on 03 August for allegedly accusing him of malicious charges.

In his 19-page complaint, Estrada filed the said case against reporter Christine Herrera and editors of the Manila Standard Today, Joelle Marie Pelaez, and her mother, Blanquita, at his rest house in Tanay, Rizal, where he is detained while being tried on plunder charges.

Estrada said he was filing the libel suit to let the people know that the charges leveled against him have ruined “his name, honor and integrity.”

Pelaez claimed that her name was used by Estrada and his allies to launder billions worth of government securities and bonds. She has filed cases against Estrada and a number of bank officials.

The story was published by Standard Today in a series of articles from 15 to 19 May.

In a Manila Standard Today interview, Pelaez alleged that Estrada and his cronies used her name to launder P2.07 billion in securities, bonds and other debt instruments in 2000.

Estrada was ousted during a popular revolt on 24 January 2001 – just less than three years after he was elected as president – for charges of corruption and plunder.

Presidential spouse suing hard-hitting brothers for libel

Jose Miguel Arroyo, the husband of Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, is planning to file a libel suit against the Tulfo brothers for their alleged "rehashed and malicious lies."

Jesus Santos, Arroyo’s lawyer, said that the planned libel suit stemmed from the recent tirades made by broadcast journalists Ramon, Raffy, and Erwin Tulfo, whose program titled “Isumbong Mo, Tulfo Brothers” was recently cancelled by its carrier, the government-owned RPN-9.

The television station had earlier issued a statement saying the decision not to renew the contract of the Tulfos was a "painful decision though it was done without fear or favor."

The Tulfos however, claimed in a press conference two weeks ago in Quezon City that it was Arroyo who had requested RPN-9 not to renew the contract of their television program in retaliation for their exposes on the alleged smuggling activities of Vicky Toh and her brother Tomas Toh.

Santos said his client had nothing to do with the cancellation of the show of the Tulfos.

Ramon, the eldest of the siblings, had claimed that the Tohs are virtually "untouchable" at the Bureau of Customs because they are protected by the Arroyo.

He had also claimed it was President (Gloria) Arroyo who gave him the go-signal to do the expose.

Santos said the Bureau of Customs had just concluded a seven-month investigation "which found no record or evidence against the Tohs. The investigation report was signed by six people and noted by two directors and one deputy Customs commissioner. Again we dare Ramon to call these officials liars."

Mr. Arroyo has sued or is suing six politicians, two publishers, and 12 editors and writers, including the Tulfo brothers.

In an P11-million (US$213,385) damage suit against Lito Banayo, a former The Daily Tribune columnist and spokesman for opposition senator Panfilo Lacson, Arroyo complained Mr. Banayo had described him as "el esposo gordo" (the fat spouse). This description was "obviously meant to denigrate me for my rotundity," Arroyo complained.

Appearing in court for a pretrial hearing of the Banayo case, Arroyo brought along bomb-sniffing dogs and presidential palace guards, who barred the media from the proceedings, according to court sources.

The judge, Concepcion Alarcon-Vergara, ordered Mr. Banayo’s lawyer to cross-examine Mr. Arroyo without being given time to study Mr. Arroyo’s 102-page testimony.

Two weeks ago, Malaya newspaper publisher Jake Macasaet, along with his editors and reporters, were compelled to attend a pretrial conference after being arraigned on Arroyo’s libel charges.

All have pleaded not guilty to maliciously publishing a May 2004 article in which former opposition senator Francisco Tatad named Mr. Arroyo as "chief cheating operator".

Tatad, however, was dropped from the charge sheet after he claimed he was misquoted.

Ellen Tordesillas, Malaya chief of reporters, was also originally among those accused, but she was dropped from the case for unknown reasons.

Tordesillas, a veteran journalist who is being treated for cancer, said the case had shown her first-hand how such suits were "really expensive" in terms of time, money and effort.

"I had to go to court even if I had just finished chemotherapy," she complained. "Lawsuits are one way to pressure the media into silence by intimidation."

Broadcaster’s conviction affirmed

The Court of Appeals (CA) recently affirmed the conviction of a journalist for 14 counts of libel arising from several articles he had written nearly a decade ago about a customs officer.

Abante Tonite columnist and part-time television broadcaster Raffy Tulfo was previously convicted by Judge Priscilla Mijares of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court, sentencing him to two years, four months and one day in prison for each of the 14 counts – equivalent to 32 years and eight months – plus a fine of over P14.7 million (US$285,000).

In its 31 July 2006 resolution, the CA said the prosecution had successfully proven that Tulfo’s stories were written in “reckless disregard” for the truth.

According to the decision, the complainant Carlos So, a former Bureau of Customs intelligence officer, was pictured as an extortionist, smuggler, grafter, corrupt public official, womanizer and a violator of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, among others.

Bill stops use of libel to harass media

In a recent positive development, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 77 requiring libel suits against journalists, publications or broadcast stations be filed at the regional trial court of the province or city where the journalist, publication or broadcast station holds its principal office.

The approval enables the bill’s transmission to the Senate. Once a bicameral version of the bill has been approved by both the House of Representatives and Senate, it goes to the Office of the President for approval.

According to the said bill, civil actions connected with such libel suits should also be filed in the same court where the criminal complaint is filed.

Cebu Rep. Raul del Mar, the bill’s sponsor, said the bill will prevent individuals from using libel as a convenient tool to harass journalists.

“Libel, whether filed as a criminal or civil action, is used as a convenient legal tool to harass journalists, especially the community newspaper and broadcast practitioners,” Del Mar said, stressing the need to address this particular concern of local journalists.

“The community journalist and his organization, mostly financially handicapped and already afflicted with all sorts of pressures and threats, need immediate relief from the present rule on venue of libel cases, whether criminal or civil, which create an opportunity for oppression,” the lawmaker said.

Under prevailing court rules, Del Mar said the complainant or offended party, if he is a public officer, can file the complaint in Manila if his office is in Manila or in the office outside Manila if his office is located there.

If he is a private person, the venue is his place of residence at the time of the commission of the offense.

Because of this, a newspaper or broadcast station in Aparri or Jolo, Cebu or Davao can be made to answer a complaint filed in Metro Manila where the complainant resides although the cause of action did not arise in Metro Manila.

Del Mar noted that this situation is not changed by the fact that the complainant or offended party has the option to file the action at the regional trial court of the province or city where the libelous article is printed or first published. This is because the offended party usually does not exercise that option since he chooses the venue that is far away from the principal office of the defendant.

Just recently, two separate filed libel suits were set for pre-trial in the coming months in Makati and Quezon City – both located in Metro Manila – against the staff of Bandillo ng Palawan, a community newspaper based in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, around 600 kilometers south of Manila.

Arroyo's photo from this site.