Bills of Suppression
Baguio
journalists commemorated World Press Freedom by discussing several bills
pending in Congress that threaten press freedom.
By Carole Jean Cupag
and
Kristine Marie Torres
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat
BAGUIO CITY – In
commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the Baguio-Benguet
chapter of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)
held a media forum on the state of press freedom at the old chapel of Camp
John Hay last May 4.
Speakers included
Prof. Gary Mariano of De La Salle University, chair of the Philippine
Press Council (PPC); lawyer Randy Kinaud, secretary-general of the
Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA); and Art Allad-iw, NUJP national
vice chair.
The forum focused on
the Senate Bills (SB) 1120, 1828 and the House of Representatives’
Anti-terrorism bill. Mariano explained that these bills are possible
threats to press freedom. The SB 1120 or the Right to Reply Act by Sen.
Aquilino Pimentel, says that the public or the readers should also have
the right to comment or give reactions to the news published in
newspapers.
On the other hand, SB
1828 or the Magna Carta for Journalists by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada gives the
journalists benefits such as 13th month pay, bonuses, hazard
pay, insurance, overtime pay and protection. The senate bill also requires
accreditation and licensing of journalists. It also calls for the
formation of a press council that would create a code of ethics, from
which sanctions for malpractice of journalists could be acquired.
According to Mariano,
instead of giving journalists more freedom in reporting, the bills are an
infringement to press freedom. SB 1120 removes the editors and publishers
prerogative to screen the letters to the editor. While in SB 1828, the
creation of a set standard for journalists gives only a single category
for all. He also cited that the person or the group that would set the
standard for journalists is also questionable for the skills of the
journalists could not be standardized.
Mariano added that
journalism, as a profession is truly debatable, for the nature of the work
of journalists is to report events and express opinions, unlike in other
profession where they have to ensure the service they give to the public.
Lawyer Kinaud
discussed the Anti-terrorism bill where terrorism is defined as an act
that is threatening or intimidating. Kinaud also explained the sanctions
that could be given to suspected terrorists, such as detention for 30 days
without filing a formal case and a freeze order to the bank accounts from
the court. He also shared that the Anti-terrorism bill also allows the
formation of an anti-terrorist council that will have the power to
classify organizations as terrorists. To the groups or persons that were
proven as terrorists, they will be charged a fine of P10 million.
Kinaud explained that
the provisions in the Anti-terrorism bill could be used for abuse. He set
as an example the provision on the immunity from prosecution of the people
who would stand as witnesses in terrorism cases. People in authority he
said, could easily abuse their power and use this provision to turn into
witnesses and be free from liabilities. He also added that the
anti-terrorism bill would also limit the reports that journalists could
do, for interviews with the communists such as New People’s Army (NPA)
could be considered as a terrorist act, and reporters could be easily
charged with conspiracy.
Allad-iw presented
NUJP’s position paper to the anti-terrorism bill.
He also cited that of
the 67 cases of journalists’ death, only one was resolved. Meanwhidle, a
powerpoint presentation titled, “Knowing the Enemy,” created by the
Intelligence services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP)
tagged the NUJP and Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)
as the “enemies of the state.” Allad-iw said both the killings and
government tagging of media as enemies threaten journalists as well as the
people’s basic rights, including the right to life and information.
Before the forum
ended, the NUJP launched the petition signing against the Anti-terrorism
bill. Northern Dispatch /Bulatlat
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