Philippines: In Letter to Puno, CPJ Expresses Concern Over Esperat Case

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PUBLISHED ON March 29, 2008 AT 8:06 AM

CPJ welcomes your assertion. We believe a Supreme Court resolution reaffirming its previous decision to change the trial venue for Marlene Garcia-Esperat’s murder to a more neutral setting would be a positive step towards breaking the culture of impunity to which you alluded.

Sincerely,

Joel Simon
Executive Director

CC:

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President

Raul M. Gonzales, Secretary of Justice

Alberto G. Romulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Ignacio R. Bunye, Press Secretary

Ronaldo V. Puno, Secretary of Interior and Local Government

Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., Secretary of National Defense

Willy C. Gaa, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S.

Kristie Kenney, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines

Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

Alistair MacDonald, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in the Philippines

Richard G. Lugar, U.S. Senator, Indiana

American Society of Newspaper Editors

Amnesty International

Article 19 (United Kingdom)

Artikel 19 (The Netherlands)

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression

Freedom Forum

Freedom House

Human Rights Watch

Index on Censorship

International Center for Journalists

International Federation of Journalists

International PEN

International Press Institute

The Newspaper Guild

The North American Broadcasters Association

Overseas Press Club

Bob Dietz bdietz@cpj.org

Asia Program Coordinator

Madeline Earp mearp@cpj.org

Asia Program Researcher

Committee to Protect Journalists

330 Seventh Ave, 11th floor

New York, NY 10001

+1 212 465 1004

www.cpj.org

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