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Saturday, May 28, 2005
Pre-airing approval of news programs causes alarm
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
MEDIA organizations and Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. were alarmed over the new order requiring the approval of public affairs program, news, documentaries, socio-political editorials and the like before they are allowed to air.
They all believe that such an order from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), which is under the Office of the President, is unconstitutional and curtails the freedom of the press.
They are now calling for the immediate rescission of this order.
These groups believe that this is a desperate move from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's end while others believe that indeed the country is heading towards something more worse than Martial Law.
Pimentel sent this text message: "MTRCB order prior approval before tv talk shows are aired constitutes unconstitutional prior restraint and violates free speech. Should be rescinded immediately."
In a statement to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) chairperson Inday Espina-Varona said MTRCB Chair Ma. Consolizada Laguardia ordered all television stations last May 17 to submit materials of the mentioned programs for review and approval prior to telecast.
Laguardia's memo to television stations cited Section 3 of Presidential Decree 1986 as justification for her clampdown on press freedom. The section deals with the powers of the MTRCB.
"The NUJP believes Laguardia's draconian measure has nothing to do with safeguarding the morals of Filipinos," she said.
"The NUJP believes the MTRCB move is part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's move to sanitize the image of her administration at a time when it is under fire for corruption, human rights violations and rampant criminality, including record number of attacks against journalists, judges, lawyers and activists," she added.
Varona cited how the Arroyo administration has already acquired the services of public relations experts and harnessed the powers of major corporations - all advertisers that already wield great clout in media - to turn around its image crisis.
She said it is "contemptible that a government claiming to be a champion of democracy rationalizes this grave assault on press freedom by citing powers imposed by the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos."
"While broadcast television in the country has serious flaws, it has shown enough self-correcting abilities. Networks have complied with sanctions imposed by the MTRCB - fines and suspension of hosts -- when their programs go out of bounds," she said.
"The market has also lately emerged as a balancing force, with advertisers, for one, pulling out of programs that have been deluged by complaints," she added.
Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) president Richard Vallar and Alsa Media
convenor Jerry Orcullo said this is a move that would lead to the death of press freedom and the free exercise of all other rights.
Vallar said, "That is pure curtailment of press freedom!"
Orcullo for his part said MTCRB, which is under the Office of the President, would now have control on preventing journalists from airing news items that are against the president.
He said they could easily stay the broadcasting of news documentaries and socio-political editorials that are critical of the president.
"Who would then be able to stop them now? They will have total control of information given to the public and the first victim would be truth. Once the truth dies, the free exercise of all other rights dies. There will be no stopping the government and oppression will set in," he said.
Herbie Gomez, COPC past president and who helped in organizing the NUJP here in Cagayan de Oro, said: "That's censorship, against constitutional provision that no law should be passed abridging the freedom of expression. What's the next thing they will do? Media groups should question this."
Philippine National Police Press Corps president Micheal Bustamante said, "Over acting ra kaayo ang MTRCRB morag paingon nani sa Martial Law (MTRCB is over acting and it seems we are now heading towards Martial Law)."
Meanwhile, the NUJP urges journalists and management of television networks to stand up for press freedom and challenge this outright attempt at censorship.
Varona said this administration speaks with a "forked tongue" where press freedom and democratic rights are concerned.
She said the President calls media an ally of democracy and offers funds to assuage anger at the continuing assaults on Filipino journalists.
"Yet her top aides have also consistently tried to narrow the democratic space by thinking up all kinds of schemes to gag the press and the Filipino people," she said.
Marcos, a dictator, gave the MTRCB powers to crack down not only on pornography, or attempts to incite subversion and rebellion; the tyrant grave the agency broad powers to censor broadcast that "tend to undermine the faith and confidence of the people in their government and/or the duly constituted authorities."
Varona said Laguardia's order is a betrayal of the Filipino people's right to know serious issues that beset the country.
She said it would not just gag the press but it would stifle legitimate dissent and productive political discourse in our nation.
"The MTRCB move takes up where the Armed Forces of the Philippines left off, following media protest, of its proposal to criminalize interviews with alleged terrorists - a word that this administration has loosely used to include legitimate and unarmed opposition forces," she said.
"That mindset has also led to a rash of extra-judicial killings of human rights workers and members of militant groups in the last year," she added.
Varona said the Macapagal-Arroyo administration seems to think media is the root of its problems, which it dismisses as a matter of perception.
"The government is wrong. Media is not the enemy. Journalists are not the ones financing and operating illegal gambling and illegal drug syndicates," she said.
"Journalists are the not the ones dipping into the state coffers. Gagging media will not solve this government's problem. Good governance will," she added.
Two weeks ago, President Arroyo bewailed the "culture of violence" that had the country in its grip.
Varona said Arroyo's government has done media a violent turn; there are many ways of killing press freedom.
"Her (Arroyo) administration, in its zeal to protect its interests, has shown it has no compunctions about choking off our democratic space," she said.
(May 28, 2005 issue)
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