(Speech delivered by PPI chairman-president and Malaya publisher Amado Macasaet during a forum on decriminalizing libel and freedom of information in celebration of the World Press Freedom Day  on May 4 at the De La Salle University-Manila, a program supported by the Embassy of the United States of America in Manila.  The PPI position is to decriminalize libel.)

I used to think that criminal libel is a necessary evil. It is the only weapon against frequent abuses of media. Unfortunately, this weapon has been variously abused by people in power.

Nothing could be a more glaring example than the ten libel cases filed by the former first gentleman.

There were 47 respondents among us. After the complainant recovered from a near fatal illness, he moved to dismiss the libel cases, both criminal and civil against all of us.

Another mediaman has fallen. We mourn his passing. We condemn this premeditated murder. Bombo Rommel Jojo Palma of Bombo Radyo Koronadal was shot to death this morning while doing his reporter’s beat at the Koronadal provincial hospital.

Unless the murderers are made to pay for their dastardly crimes, this impunity and direct assault to press freedom will continue.