MANILA, Philippines – The arrest of Philip Lustre Jr. is an attack on press freedom in the Philippines, the veteran journalist’s lawyer Dino De Leon said.

Lustre was arrested at a restaurant in Quezon City on Saturday, October 24, for alleged cyber libel. He was served an arrest warrant issued by Branch 10 of Davao City’s Regional Trial Court.

The 72-year-old is the author behind Kill, Kill, Kill: Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines, which documents former president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs.

“This is a sad day for journalism in the Philippines,” De Leon said in an ambush interview on the same day of Lustre’s arrest, as seen in a video by Bilyonaryo News Channel.

“Nararamdaman na naman natin ‘yung pag-atake sa mga members ng media. This is reminiscent of the Duterte administration na nanggaling sa Davao City again ‘yung complainant.”

(We are again witnessing the attacks on members of the media. This is reminiscent of the Duterte administration, where the complainant is from Davao City.)

Lustre had earlier mentioned that he did not know who the complainant was, and was also unaware that there was a complaint being lodged against him.

‘Laws protecting reputation must never be used to harass journalists’

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS), meanwhile, expressed support for Lustre’s welfare, access to legal counsel, communication with his family, and medical assistance, given that he is a senior citizen.

“We urge the prompt handling of any application for bail in accordance with applicable rules, with due consideration for his age and welfare. His reported lack of prior knowledge of the complaint also warrants clarification through the appropriate legal processes,” PTFOMS said in its statement.

With Lustre’s arrest coming just a day after Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte filed a cyber libel complaint against several GMA Network journalists, PTFOMS also stressed that “laws protecting reputation must never be used to harass journalists, suppress legitimate criticism, or obstruct the public’s access to information.”

“The threat of arrest, prolonged litigation, and substantial legal expenses can discourage journalists from pursuing important stories even before a complaint is resolved,” it said.

It also said that it will coordinate with De Leon and the concerned authorities to gather official information on Lustre’s arrest. – Rappler.com