This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 13, May 8-14, 2005
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 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 © 2004 Bulatlat
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Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat