Newspaper chief arrested over articles which suggested Jose Miguel helped broker a lucrative government contract
An opposition newspaper publisher was arrested on criminal libel charges yesterday morning over articles accusing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's husband and her personal lawyer of brokering a multi-million-dollar government contract.
Ninez Cacho-Olivares, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Daily Tribune, was able to post bail for two counts of criminal libel, but said police had 17 other arrest warrants out on her for other counts of libel.
Bail of 10,000 pesos (HK$1,435) for each count was demanded.
Cacho-Olivares said she was the victim of political persecution because her accusers had parcelled out the 19 counts of criminal libel among 17 judges, meaning she faced 17 separate arraignment hearings.
Congressman Renato Magtubo, a labour organiser, said yesterday that Cacho-Olivares was arrested mainly because she was a critic of the Arroyo administration. He regarded her arrest as 'political persecution and suppression of press freedom'.
