THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to look into the plight of radio broadcaster Alexander Adonis, who has remained in jail for libel despite a court order mandating his release.

In a letter to Gonzalez and the Bureau of Corrections director, Oscar Calderon, the NUJP took to task the Davao Penal Colony warden, Supt. Benjo Tesoro, for saying that “he would have to inform first ‘higher authorities’ before obeying the court order’’ releasing Adonis.

In January 2007, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Davao sentenced Adonis, 44, to five years and six months in jail after he failed to exercise his right to present his side on the libel case filed against him by House Speaker Prospero Nograles in 2001. Adonis said his inability to afford to pay for a lawyer has forced him to go into hiding.

Judge George Omelio of Branch 14 of the RTC in Davao had ordered the release of Adonis after he posted a P5,000 bail on Monday last week.

“Every day that Adonis remains in jail is an injustice,’’ said the NUJP, which expressed its “strong concern over the continued incarceration’’ of the broadcaster.

Nograles filed the libel case against Adonis for his commentaries relative to the “Burlesque King’’ scandal.             

Court records show that the reports tagged Nograles as the congressman allegedly seen running naked in a hotel in Manila after the husband of the legislator’s paramour caught them in bed.

The NUJP said, Adonis “had been due for discharge on parole in February.’’

“However, his release was not implemented because of a second libel case filed against him by the woman mentioned in the commentaries,’’ the NUJP said.

The group said the delay in the release of Adonis concerns not just Adonis and other journalists, “but even more so state authorities who are tasked to ensure that the rights of the citizens are protected and the law is followed.’’

Customs functions reorganized

PRESIDENT Arroyo has reorganized certain functions of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) “to make it more responsive” to the government’s antismuggling campaign.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Police and military officials are eyeing the possible involvement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Thursday’s bombing that killed two people and injured 21 others.

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza on Sunday called on some 100 farmers from Calatagan, Batangas, not to camp out in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resource’s (DENR) central office on Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, saying camping out in front of the office “is not the solution to their problem.”

CRACKING the whip on erring policemen, the National Police chief, Director General Avelino Razon Jr., dismissed 52 personnel from the service for various offenses during the past four months.

THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) has asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to look into the plight of radio broadcaster Alexander Adonis, who has remained in jail for libel despite a court order mandating his release.

THE House of Representatives has forwarded to the Senate an approved bill that would upgrade the capabilities of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (Bfad) to ensure public health and safety with respect to food, cosmetics and drugs marketed in the Philippines.

THE Optical Media Board (OMB) has again won plaudits from an agency of the US government for its campaign against intellectual property piracy.