Tinio hits arrest of veteran journalist Lustre

MANILA, Philippines – ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio on Sunday condemned the arrest of journalist Philip Lustre Jr., characterizing it as a direct assault on press freedom and a weaponization of the country’s cyberlibel law.

“The arrest of Sir Philip Lustre is an alarming escalation in the weaponization of cyberlibel against journalists,” Tinio said in a statement.

“He was arrested without ever knowing there was a case against him — and he does not even know who his accuser is.”

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“The pattern is unmistakable. Days ago, cyberlibel complaints were filed against GMA journalists. Now, a veteran journalist who has written critically of the drug war is jailed. These are not coincidences,” he added.

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Lustre, 72, was arrested in Quezon City after a Davao court issued a warrant for his arrest on a cyberlibel charge. He authored the book “Kill, Kill, Kill,” which examined former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.

READ: Journalist Philip Lustre posts P48,000 bail in cyberlibel case

“The timing leads us to reasonably ask whether this is retaliation for his critical writings,” Tinio said.

“This is a systematic effort to silence the critical press,” he said. /gsg