Court upholds journalists' P12.5-M suit vs Mike Arroyo

The Supreme Court has dealt First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo a legal blow, junking his petition to stop a Makati court from hearing a P12.5-million suit filed by journalists. In a resolution made public only on Friday, the high court’s First Division affirmed the Court of Appeals’ rulings in September 2008 and April 2009 that upheld the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 140’s move to admit the journalists’ amended complaint. “The Court further resolves to deny the petition for failure of petitioner [Mr. Arroyo] to sufficiently show that the CA committed any reversible error in the challenged decision as to warrant the exercise of this Court’s discretionary appellate jurisdiction," according the resolution promulgated on March 10. Concurring with the decision are retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Associate Justices Conchita Carpio-Morales, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Lucas Bersamin, and Martin Villarama. GMANews.TV tried to call Ruy Rondain, Mr. Arroyo’s legal counsel, for comment, but he could not be reached as of posting time. The Supreme Court was acting on the First Gentleman’s petition assailing the Court of Appeals’ decision which allowed Makati RTC Branch 140 Presiding Judge Zenaida Galapate Laguilles to admit the journalists’ amended complaint. Mr. Arroyo asked the high court to restrain the Makati court from admitting the amended complaint and to proceed instead with the original suit the journalists lodged in December 2006. The journalists filed a class suit in response to the string of libel cases — 10 against 45 journalists — that the First Gentleman had filed starting 2003. Mr. Arroyo subsequently withdrew the cases after he underwent a heart surgery in 2007. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s husband wanted the P12.5-million suit dismissed, because the journalists supposedly failed to pay the correct court docket fees and to answer interrogations within the prescribed period.

The class suit was filed by 39 journalists and media groups, namely: Niñez Cacho-Olivares, Marites Vitug, Glenda Gloria, Ricky Carandang, Romulo Mariñas, Gina Capili-Inciong, Gerry Baldo, Sherwin Olaes, Lito Tugadi, Jing Santos, Lito Banayo, Maria Concepcion Cruz, Miriam Grace Go, Romina Gonzalez, Gemma Bagayaua, William Esposo, Jose Pavia, Rowena Paraan, Sweet May Cawicaan, Jofelle Tesorio, Jose Bimbo Santos, Rachel Khan, Ma. Christina Rodriguez, Yvonne Chua, Alcuin Papa, Ramon Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, Conrado de Quiros, Vergel Santos, JP Lopez, Regina Bengco, Minnie Advincula, Ellen Tordesillas and Francisco Tatad. The media organizations were the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism Inc. During President Arroyo’s nine-year presidency, the First Gentleman was repeatedly linked to multi-million peso scams and shady government deals. [See: Controversies involving First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo] —VS, GMANews.TV