THE House prosecution panel on Monday sounded the alarm over what it called renewed attacks on press freedom by members of the Duterte family and vowed to support journalists facing legal complaints, including those from GMA Network and veteran journalist Philip Lustre Jr.
At a press briefing, House prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon warned against a repeat of what happened to ABS-CBN and Rappler during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Ito po ay pag-atake sa press freedom. Ito po ay pag-atake sa kalayaan para sa pamamahayag. Hindi po ito papayagan ng Kongreso, hindi po ito papayagan ng House prosecution panel,” Ridon said.
“Ginawa na po nila ito noon sa ABS-CBN; ginawa na po nila ito sa Rappler. We will not allow them to do it again. Not under our watch,” the chairperson of the House Committee on Public Accounts added.
Ridon was reacting to the libel and cyberlibel complaints filed by Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte against GMA Network executives and journalists, and the cyberlibel case filed by lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, against Lustre.
Congressman Duterte filed the complaints Friday, Oct. 23, against GMA executives and journalists, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag and former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.
The complaints stemmed from a GMA report on Gracioso’s allegations that he delivered suitcases of cash to members of the Duterte family, who have denied the claims.
Meanwhile, Lustre, 72, was arrested Saturday, Oct. 24, in Quezon City on a cyberlibel warrant issued by a Davao City court. He was released that evening after posting P48,000 bail.
His lawyer, Dino de Leon, confirmed that Carpio was the complainant and questioned the arrest, saying Lustre had not received a subpoena or an opportunity to answer the complaint.
Ridon said the complaints filed by Congressman Duterte and his brother-in-law reflected a troubling pattern of legal action against journalists involving members of the Duterte family.
“It is an attack by the Dutertes on press freedom, hindi ba? So, it speaks volumes about how they actually look at media,” Ridon said.
He pointed to the shutdown of ABS-CBN and the legal suits against Rappler during the administration of former President Duterte.
“There is historical precedent on it. The former president closed down ABS-CBN, filed cases against Rappler, and the son and the son-in-law are filing cases against media organizations and personalities as well,” he said.
ABS-CBN stopped its free-to-air broadcasts in May 2020 after its franchise expired and the National Telecommunications Commission ordered it off the air.
The House, then headed by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, now Senate minority leader, later rejected the network’s application for a new franchise.
Rappler and its journalists also faced several legal cases during the Duterte administration, including a cyberlibel case against journalist Maria Ressa.
Ridon said journalists should not face criminal complaints merely for reporting facts or expressing observations.
“Pero I think a red line needs to be made doon po sa pagkakaso sa mga nagsasabi lang po ng totoo, nagsasabi ng kanilang obserbasyon, nagsasabi ng mga bagay batay sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag,” he said.
Ridon also questioned what he described as a double standard in the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) handling of arrest warrants, citing Lustre’s arrest while Vice President Duterte was not taken into custody in her grave threats case.
“The double standard of the non-arrest of the Vice President is clearly at play on the arrest of Philip Lustre,” Ridon said.
On Sept. 4, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued an arrest warrant against the Vice President for three counts of grave threats after finding probable cause to hold her for trial.
The charges stemmed from Duterte’s November 2024 online press briefing, during which she said she had instructed someone to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez if she herself were killed.
Duterte has denied making threats, saying her remarks were an expression of concern for her own safety.
The court set bail at P120,000 for each count, or P360,000 in total.
Duterte appeared before the Quezon City court on Sept. 5 and posted the required bail without being taken into police custody. The court subsequently lifted the arrest warrant.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla later said authorities knew Duterte’s whereabouts the night before but did not force her arrest. He maintained that police had treated the Vice President with the respect due her office.
Ridon questioned why Lustre was arrested while the Vice President was allowed to post bail without being taken into custody, even though both faced bailable charges.
“I think the [PNP] should clarify today bakit po inaaresto si Philip Lustre samantalang hindi po inaaresto ang ating pong Pangalawang Pangulo,” he said.
He said he would coordinate with fellow lawmakers, including ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, on a possible joint House resolution addressing concerns over Lustre’s arrest.
Ridon also pledged the prosecution panel’s support for journalists and media organizations facing legal action.
“‘Yung lahat po ng tulong na maibibigay po namin sa lahat ng mga kasamahan po natin sa media para harapin po ang mga kasong ito para sa broadcast network ng GMA 7 at para sa mamamahayag, beteranong mamamahayag na Philip Lustre,” he said.
Ridon added: “Gagawin po namin ito. Sasamahan po namin sila sa bawat larangan ng laban po na ito.”
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