MANILA – Irked at being asked questions in the courtroom by the defense counsel of the Malaya newspaper publisher, Jake Macasaet, and Business editor Rosario Galang, during a hearing of the libel suit filed by the presidential spouse, First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, under cross-examination late lsst month challenged Malaya’s libel lawyer to a fistfight, instead of replying to the questions asked of him by the lawyer in a Manila courtroom.
Despite the presidential spouse’s uncouth behavior in court, the hearing judge failed to reprimand him, or even hold him in contempt. Arroyo has always claimed, while filing numerous libel suits against journalists critical of him, that he is a private citizen, not a public figure.
This claim is continuously made despite
the fact that the courts generally defer to him, and treat him with kid gloves,
and despite the fact that at least 100 presidential guards were in the courthouse
and barred people from entering the courtroom, with the security making the
decision on who can enter the court room.
Meanwhile, on March 7, Gemma Bagayaua
Mendoza, the online editor of the hard-hitting Newsbreak Magazine was arrested
in connection with a libel case filed by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson.
She spend the night In jail in Pasig city because there was no time for bail.
Bagayaua said in an article 22 of Singson?s people held key positions in 16
government agencies involved with gaming, ports, land development and
transportation.
After the presidential spouse’s direct
testimony, he rejected the defense counsel’s move to cross-examine him, saying
he was a busy man.
The hearing judge ruled in Arroyo’s
favor, dispensing with the cross-examination.
In challenging the libel lawyer to a
fistfight outside the courtroom, the presidential spouse, irritated at being
asked several questions by the defense counsel such as what Arroyo’s
interpretation of malice and rumors is, among other questions, including
arguing over the amount of money turned over to the PSG chief, Gen. Delfin
Bangit.
The case stemmed from a column written by
Macasaet on the First Gentleman’s inability to be concerned over the medical
problems of PSG’s sister.
The hearing was held before the Manila
Regional Trial Court branch 173 of Judge Rosario Cruz.
Less than five minutes into the
presidential spouse’s testimony when he and defense counsel Paul Arias argued
over the money that the First Gentleman turned over to former PSG chief Bangit,
for the medical needs of his PSG.
Arias had warned the presidential spouse
not to raise his voice or argue with counsel. But Arroyo, who appeared not to
want to have him spoken to in this manner of questioning by the Arias, stood up
from the witness stand seat, shouted at the defense counsel, and pointed a
finger at Arias, and in a loud voice, threatened him, saying: “You cannot do
this to me. If you want, we can settle this outside," while starting to roll up his sleeves. Arias told him he was
willing to oblige.
In all that time, the Judge failed to
castigate the presidential spouse.
Arroyo later calmed down and sat down,
then apologized to the judge. “I am sorry, your honor. This will not happen
again,’ he said.
Arroyo lost his cool when Arias asked
that the notes the First Gentleman was carrying be taken away. Arroyo said it
was a copy of Macasaet’s column with his marginal notes.
For more than two hours, Arroyo and Arias
discussed the range of monetary assistance that the First Gentleman gives as
charity, and where they come from.
Arias wanted to clearly establish if the
money came from campaign funds or charity funds.
Also in the same hearing, Arroyo’s Chief
of Staff Juris Soliman was ordered out of the courtroom upon Arias’ request
because she took it upon herself to interrupt the defense counsel while he was
cross-examining Arroyo.
Arroyo, taking the witness stand, charged
that Macasaet’s column on July 9, 2004 was malicious and inevitably damaged his
reputation, as reported by dzBB radio.
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