IWithdrawal of Contempt Claim in Philippines Massacre Case

IWithdrawal of Contempt Claim in Philippines Massacre Case

May 24, 2011 - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls for the immediate withdrawal of accusations of contempt against a union leader and widow of a victim of the massacre of 58 people in the southern Philippines on November 23, 2009.

“The IFJ is concerned that the allegations against Rowena Paraan and Monette Salaysay are being used to silence witnesses, advocates and families of victims of the massacre,” IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), an IFJ affiliate, urged press freedom advocates and the families of the massacre victims to “remain steadfast” in their quest for justice, as they gathered at a protest in Manila on May 23 to mark 18 months since the Ampatuan Town Massacre in Maguindanao, Mindanao.

The NUJP rejects the contempt charges against its General Secretary, Rowena Paraan, and Monette Salaysay, whose husband Napoleon was among 32 journalists and media workers murdered in the massacre.

They risk a jail term and financial penalties if the contempt petition filed by the Philippines Court of Appeals on April 12 is upheld.

“More than ever, there is a need to remain vigilant on the conduct and proceedings of the [massacre] case amid continued reports of threats against the victims’ families and legal manoeuvres of the accused,” an NUJP statement said.

“We will not be cowed into surrendering our right to free expression for we cannot afford to be silent as we monitor the progress of a case that is crucial … because its outcome may well determine whether we can continue to consider ourselves a democracy, a nation, a people.”

It is unclear whether the petition against Paraan and Salaysay was based on a submission by lawyers defending massacre suspects, or initiated by the judiciary independently.

Lawyers representing Zaldy Ampatuan, who are seeking to drop charges accusing him of being one of the main plotters of the massacre, allege that comments made on March 2 and attributed to Paraan and Salaysay prejudice their client.

The petition alleges the two women foisted “bias and corruption upon members of the court” when they voiced concerns about the slow process of the trials of massacre suspects.

However, the same concerns are shared by Members of the House of Representatives in the Philippines, including House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr, who vowed on May 23 “not to forget and to do everything we can” to help resolve the case, according to GMA News Online.

A public opinion poll conducted by Social Weather Stations from May 4 to 7 also found that 51 percent of Filipinos believe the massacre trials are progressing too slowly. The poll noted increasing criticism of way the case is being handled by the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, with respondents classifying the Government’s performance as poor in all geographical and demographical categories.

“There is clearly broad public sentiment in the Philippines regarding a need to speed up the trials of the massacre suspects,” Park said.

“The people of the Philippines have not forgotten that President Aquino made a public commitment before taking office that he would ensure justice is served in this case.”

The contempt petition is similar in tone to comments made by Zaldy Ampatuan in a newspaper advertisement published nationally on March 23. The advertisement alleged public comments were prejudicial to those accused of involvement in organising and committing the massacre.

Ampatuan, who is suspended from his post as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), has filed a certiorari petition with the Court of Appeals in relation to the charges against him.

His petition cites a decision by Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra in April 2010 which found no probable cause for Ampatuan to be considered a suspect in the massacre case. Agra later overturned the decision following a public outcry by families of the massacre victims and press freedom activists.

The trial of the suspects have already been significantly stalled by repeated disruptions to proceedings, including another contempt case filed against prosecutor Harry Roque, for comments he made in a documentary film about the massacre.

The IFJ urges judicial and government officials to condemn any efforts to obstruct the speedy and fair trial of the massacre accused, and to ensure the focus of judicial actions remains on the conduct of the actual trials.

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

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