Journalism and Broadcast Media

[bagel]

Marked for Death

CPJ identifies 'Most Murderous Countries for Journalists'

New York, May 2 2005—Murder is the leading cause of job-related deaths
among journalists worldwide, and the Philippines is the most murderous
country of all, a new analysis by the Committee to Protect Journalists
has found. Iraq, Colombia, Bangladesh, and Russia round out CPJ's list
of the "Most Murderous Countries for Journalists."

In issuing its analysis to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3, CPJ
called murder with impunity the most urgent threat facing journalists
worldwide. CPJ studied more than five years of death records beginning
January 1, 2000, and found that the vast majority of journalists
killed on duty did not die in crossfire or while covering dangerous
assignments. Instead, 121 of the 190 journalists who died on duty
worldwide since 2000 were hunted down and murdered in retaliation for
their work.

In more than 85 percent of these slayings, CPJ found, the killers have
gone unpunished. The five Most Murderous Countries have the worst
records. Of the 58 murders in those nations, all have been committed
with impunity. Alleged gunmen have been arrested and charged in a
small handful of cases, but no charges have ever been brought against
those who directed the killings.

"By failing to investigate and punish the killers, the governments in
these five countries embolden all those who seek to silence the press
through violence," CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper said. "The
violence becomes self-perpetuating and the free flow of information is
cut off."

Other patterns emerged in CPJ's analysis:

o In most cases, journalists were murdered in retaliation
for reporting on government corruption, crime, drug trafficking, or
the activities of rebel groups.
o Time and again, murders were reported in the same lawless
regions—such as Mindanao in the Philippines and Khulna in Bangladesh.
o Even in war zones such as Iraq, journalists were
frequently targeted in reprisal for their work.
o Many of the slain journalists were overtly threatened
beforehand, illustrating the brazen nature of their killers.
o And the five Most Murderous Countries stand well apart
from the rest of the world. Together, they account for nearly half of
the murder toll since 2000. (See attached "Facts at a Glance.")

"The problem is enormous, but not intractable," Cooper said.
"Governments must recognize what's at stake is not only justice for
those murdered but also the collective right of society to be
informed. Journalists cannot do their jobs in a climate of violence
and impunity. Governments, particularly those in the five most
murderous countries, must devote the resources and exercise the will
to solve these crimes."

Here are summaries of the Most Murderous Countries:

Philippines
In the Philippines, 18 journalists have been slain for their work
since 2000. All had reported on government and police corruption, drug
dealing, and the activities of crime syndicates.

Many were rural radio commentators or reporters who were ambushed in
drive-by assassinations. Philippine journalists attribute the violence
to a nationwide breakdown in law and order, the wide circulation of
illegal arms, and the failure to convict a single person in the
murders.

The Philippine victims include Edgar Damalerio, the managing editor of
the weekly newspaper Zamboanga Scribe and a commentator on DXKP radio
station in Pagadian City—a violent port on the southern island of
Mindanao. Damalerio, who was known for denouncing corruption, was
gunned down on a crowded street across from the local police station
in May 2002. The trial of one suspect, a former police officer, could
begin this year. Damalerio is among six journalists murdered since
2000 in Mindanao, a region rife with crime and lawlessness.

Iraq
In Iraq, crossfire is the leading cause of death among journalists.
But even in this war zone, 13 of the 41 work-related deaths were
murders, CPJ found. More than half of those murdered were Iraqi
journalists who were targeted by insurgents because of their
affiliation—real or perceived—with coalition forces, foreign
organizations, or political entities.

Several of the slain journalists had been threatened beforehand. Dina
Mohammed Hassan, an Iraqi reporter for the local Arabic-language
television station Al-Hurriya, had received three letters warning her
to stop working for the broadcaster. In October 2004, she was killed
in a drive-by shooting in front of her Baghdad residence.

Two of the victims had been held hostage by armed groups. Italian
journalist Enzo Baldoni was murdered in August 2004 by kidnappers from
a militant group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq.

Colombia
Eleven journalists have been murdered since 2000 in Colombia, where
reporting on drugs, paramilitary organizations, and local corruption
has placed reporters at great risk.

All of the journalists murdered in the last five years reported on at
least one of these topics; at least eight received death threats and
warnings before being gunned down. Here, too, these murders took place
in regions of extreme lawlessness, with competing groups fighting for
territorial control.

Radio Meridiano-70 in the town of Arauca lost two journalists in less
than a year to assassination. Gunmen killed host Luis Eduardo Alfonso
as he arrived at work one morning in March 2003, just weeks after he
had been threatened by members of a right-wing paramilitary army. The
previous June, paramilitary gunmen shot and killed the owner of Radio
Meridiano-70, Efraín Varela Noriega. Varela had alerted listeners to
the presence of paramilitary fighters in the region days before he was
killed.

Bangladesh
Nine journalists have been slain in Bangladesh since 2000—eight in the
lawless southwestern Khulna district, which is rife with criminal
gangs, outlawed political groups, and drug traffickers. Seven received
death threats beforehand.

Bangladesh has long been a violent place for journalists; they are
routinely beaten, harassed, and threatened while carrying out their
work. A CPJ delegation traveled to Bangladesh last year to urge the
government to prosecute those responsible.

Manik Saha, a veteran correspondent with the daily New Age and a
contributor to the BBC's Bengali-language service, was brutally
murdered in January 2004 when assailants threw a bomb at his rickshaw
in Khulna. The underground leftist group Janajuddha claimed
responsibility for the killing. Saha, who had received several death
threats, was known for his bold reporting on the Khulna region's
criminal gangs, drug traffickers, and Maoist insurgents.

Russia
In Russia, contract-style killings pose a grave threat to journalists.
CPJ found that at least seven journalists died in contract-style
slayings in direct reprisal for their work; it continues to
investigate the motives in four other contract killings that may have
been related to the victims' journalism.

Most of the victims were print journalists investigating organized
crime and government corruption, while a few were broadcast
journalists who had criticized the policies of influential local
politicians. A politicized criminal justice system, crippled by
corruption and mismanagement, has perpetuated a climate of impunity in
Russia.

Paul Klebnikov, the editor of Forbes Russia, was gunned down on a
Moscow street outside his office in July 2004. An American of Russian
descent, Klebnikov had written a number of books and articles on
Russia's shadowy business tycoons, organized crime, and the conflict
in Chechnya. In February, Belarusian authorities extradited two ethnic
Chechens—identified as suspects in the murder—to Russia

Click here for a list of journalists slain in the five Most Murderous Countries:
http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/murderous_05/murderous_05.html

See attached "Facts at a Glance."

The Committee to Protect Journalists is a non-partisan, nonprofit
organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide. For more
information, visit www.cpj.org.

Marked for Death
Facts at a glance

The Five Most Murderous Countries:

1. Philippines
2. Iraq
3. Colombia
4. Bangladesh
5. Russia

Murders worldwide since January 1, 2000:
· 121

Deaths overall since January 1, 2000:
· 190

Percentage of deaths that are murders:
· 64

Slayings in the Most Murderous Countries:
· 58

Percentage of slayings worldwide that occurred in the Most Murderous Countries:
· 48

Percentage of murders solved worldwide:
· 14 percent

Murders solved in the Most Murderous Countries:
· 0

--

***********************************************************************
NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
www.nujp.org
105-A Scout Castor Street (near Morato Avenue)
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (+632) 4117768
Email: info@nujp.org
***********************************************************************

Are you a journalist under threat?
Report it to NUJP's Threat Hotline: (+63) 916-7512522
or email it to threat@nujp.org
********************************************************
"There can be no press freedom if journalists
exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear."
********************************************************

[bagel]

For a country which values its free press, there doesn't seem to be much done in protecting it from violence.

[bagel]

More intimidation? Here's a columnist's viewpoint on media intimidation. So the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines was named an "enemy of the state" by the armed forces. That's one way to silence critique. What I don't understand is that also named in the same list of enemies of the state is the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Phlippines. Is anybody who is speaking out for social justice now on the communist watch list?


VANTAGE POINT



KNOWING THE ENEMY

By Luis V. Teodoro



THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is
understandably alarmed. A military Power Point presentation
entitled "Know Your Enemy" includes NUJP in its list of groups that
supposedly comprise the "legal machinery" of the Communist Party of
the Philippines (CPP). Besides NUJP, the presentation also puts the
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in the same
category.

NUJP says it heard about the presentation last December from
someone who sat through it, but its officers saw an actual copy only
last week. Journalists who somehow managed to sit through the
briefing say it was meant for field intelligence officers, and that
the source seems to be ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines).

Apparently, however, the intelligence boys, as usual, have been
sloppy in keeping secrets. Not only did some journalists manage to
see the presentation, the militant fisherfolk organization
Pamalakaya seems to have gotten hold of a copy too.

Pamalakaya has confirmed that both NUJP and PCIJ are indeed
identified as NUJP said, but also revealed that the same briefing
lists as part of the CPP "legal machinery" the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Association of Major
Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP), as well as an
alphabet soup of political, sectoral, student, farmers', teachers',
women's and party-list groups.

NUJP says its inclusion in the AFP "state enemies" list would be
laughable if journalists were not being killed like flies, and if
some suspected killers of journalists were not from state security
forces.

NUJP has issued a statement demanding an explanation from President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the AFP Chief of Staff. NUJP wants to
know if "Knowing Your Enemy" represents official policy. If not, it
says, the President and the AFP should issue a categorical statement
to that effect, "investigate the authorsŠ, order a stop to the smear
campaign, and educate them (the authors) on the basic concepts of
democracy."

I'm afraid NUJP is asking for the impossible by demanding that the
military educate its ranks on the basics of democracy. The
inalienable right to dissent as a democratic necessity is at the core
of the idea of press freedom. But it is a concept totally alien to
the security forces (the police and the military primarily) of this
country.

These institutions were created during the early US colonial period
as instruments for the suppression of the remnant forces of the 1986
Revolution and of the social unrest bred by an unjust society. Their
members were steeped in the defense of the US colonial order for 50
years, and of neo-colonial Philippines in the succeeding 50.

The police and the military leadership can no more conceive of
dissent as a democratic right than it can imagine a world in which
generals with P30,000 monthly salaries can't afford a condo in New
York, or a P20 million Corinthian Gardens mansion.

What, for example, could be the reason for NUJP and PCIJ's being so
listed? I suspect that it's plainly and simply because NUJP members
include journalists critical of the government. But there's also
NUJP's outrage over the government's failure to solve (in the sense
of punishing the guilty) any of the killings of journalists since
1986, most specially the 28 (out of 66) killed since 2001, when the
Arroyo government began. In PCIJ's case it could be its continuing
campaign against corruption, which has targeted high government
officials whether civilian or military.

In short, both groups have ended up in the AFP list because, in
keeping with the journalistic commitment to truth-telling, they
refuse to swallow the illusion that all's well in the land of our
nightmares. Dissent and critical thought equals rebellion/subversion.

One can see the same twisted logic behind the inclusion in the AFP
enemies' list of the CBCP and the AMRSP, both religious groups that
at various times have protested Philippine support for the US attack
on Iraq, and lately, the killing of political activists in Tarlac by
the military. What's laughable is that while there may be
progressive nuns, priests and bishops in both groups' ranks, there is
no doubt that they're overwhelmingly composed of conservative and
anti-communist church people.

No such nuancing, it may be argued, is possible in the case of the
political and sectoral groups that supposedly comprise the "legal
machinery" of the CPP. But it is also true that the groups so named
are all legal organizations. The briefing itself accuses them of
being part of the "legal machinery" of the CPP.

The CPP itself, government officials from Mrs. Arroyo to military and
police spokespersons have been reminding us, is a legal organization,
there being no law that bans it, and its being in rebellion an issue
no court has yet resolved. To emphasize this point, Malacanang only
last week urged the CPP-led New People's Army to lay down its arms,
and for the CPP to fight for its programs in the legal sphere.

But not only is there this campaign to demonize various groups as CPP
fronts and to justify the use of violence against them, there are
also all those killings of political activists who're members of the
same legal organizations named in the AFP briefing. Apparently a
group can be legal, but at the same time fair game for demonization
and assassination, a fact that makes legality meaningless.

In the Philippines, however, the worst scoundrels are heroes, white
is black, good bad, right wrong, legal illegal-- and those who
pretend to be fighting the enemies of the state are democracy's own
worst foes.

What does legal mean, then, in this mad setting? Like dissent,
democracy, due process, free elections, honest governance, and human
rights, has the term also lost all meaning in the vocabulary of
this country's government and its law enforcement agencies?



#####

[Skyblade]

For a country which values its free press, there doesn't seem to be much done in protecting it from violence.
Ain't it the truth.... :wallbash:

[Lili]

It is deplorable to hear such news about the Philippines. Here we are in our discussions trying to prop up the country's image before the world and touting the democratic ideals of our nation, only to realize that the so-called vanguards of these freedoms -- the military and the media -- are victimizing one and are being victimized by the other. We adamantly claim that we are not a warzone, we bridle at people asking if it is safe in our country and yet, we are slapped into reality that this thing is allowed to happen. This is not the type of image that we would want. It hearkens back the era of martial rule when any form of dissent, be it by the media or by the public, was muzzled by the barrel of a gun. It is such a vicious attack on the civil liberties that is supposedly enshrined in our Constitution and the freedoms upon which a republican state and democratic nation is built. We rely on the media to inform us and the military to protect us. Both are important components of our civil society to ensure access to information, proper governance, peace, order and progress. What is now being exposed in this analysis is such a bitter pill to swallow. But perhaps it is this type of national embarassment and international scrutiny that would propel the nation, its citizenry and most importantly, the government to be more vigilant in seeing to it that the rights of civilians remain protected and the fundamental rights under the Constitution such as freedom of expression, of the press, of the right to know and be informed, the right to life, liberty, well-being, safety and protection under the laws remain untrammelled by those who wield power and weapons under the rule of fear, feudal politics and corruption, which should not be tolerated or countenanced any longer.

[bustero]

It would be interesting to weigh those statistics with the total amount of working journalists. The Philippines is one of the most media soaked countries in the world. We have more than our fair share of journalist as compared to most other countries. As an absolute number this would have more journalist open to being victimized.

It's also hard not to point out the fact that many "journalist" are politicians in the making or paid by politicians. One just has to point out how many media personalities we have in senate to see this. IT's a very strange situation. So while surely there are those who were gunned down because of their 'expose" and what not, others are very much politicaly related.

It's ironic actually that we're listed down as a country with poor press freedom because of this when the reverse is actually true. There is very little journalistic integrity and it's so easy to spin (hence the present administrations fondness for everything like it), things here. Anyone can say anything without any consequence (when was the last time a libel case prospered) and get crazy reports on everything on bordering on tsismis and yet there's still no press feedom.

[Lili]

It is also interesting to note that most of these victimized journalists are based in the provinces and rural areas. It is indicative that the remnants of feudal politics and warlordism are still in existence. The killings may have not been perpetrated by the military but by private armies or hired goons.

Politically motivated or not, there is just no excuse for the impunity by which those who resort to violence managed to get away with, no matter how inutile the enforcement of libel laws is.

[ThisFire]

This whole issue is an irony. And a mess.

[coth]

this press release is completely lmao

[bagel]

^^

I fail to see what's so funny. Can you explain?

[coth]

why not, to remember what was in USA a hundred years ago. their press release based on old stereotypes with substituted for explanations events.

for example. in 2004 in Russia was killed one journalist. and that was killed by islamic terrorists.

[Lili]

When you think about it and carefully analyse it, Coth may have a point. But let's not be dismissive or facetious about it (as to say lmao). The way this press release was presented was meant to sensationalize the issue and make it much more bigger than what it is. A case in point is the title of this press release "Most MURDEROUS Countries for Journalists", "Marked for Death" -- words that are so emotionally charged that it really jumps out and tugs at your emotions and sense of indignation. This is what happened to me. So, while there may be some basis in fact for these reports, there is also manipulation of the readers' reception of the message by highlighting or sensationalizing the bad while at the same time downplaying, if not omitting certain facts. As illustrated by Coth, in Russia, there were efforts to extradite the suspects of the killing and to prosecute them but it was lost as a small blurb in all those scathing statements. So, I guess a lesson learned here is to take everything with a grain of salt but not to be dismissive and apathetic about it.

[bustero]

Fourth journalist slain in the Philippines this year
05/05 10:40:02 AM

ZAMBOANGA,(AFP) - A radio broadcaster in the southern Philippines has died after being shot five times in an ambush by unknown gunmen, becoming the fourth Filipino journalist to be killed this year, police said Thursday.

Klien Cantoneros of DXAA radio was declared dead shortly before midnight Wednesday at a hospital in Dipolog city, hours after he was attacked, said Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, the regional police chief.

"We have no suspects yet," Querol added.

The official said investigators are reviewing the tapes of radio programs hosted by the victim to determine if his radio commentary could have provided a motive for his murder.

"We have to know who were the subjects of Cantoneros' program as we were informed the victim was a hard-hitting commentator," Querol said.

Police said Cantoneros was the fourth journalist to be killed in the Philippines this year, on top of 13 killed in 2004.

The Paris-based industry watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in an annual report issued on Tuesday that the Philippines, along with Bangladesh, was among the world's most dangerous places for journalists.

Six Filipino journalists were killed by suspected hired killers last year, while seven others were slain in cases with unclear motives, it said.

Local politicians were the suspects in many of the cases, it said.

[Lili]

Siyet! I think I'm gonna eat my words.

[bagel]

Does anybody know what kind of newspapers or radio stations these are?

NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
www.nujp.org

Press Statement
May 9, 2005

More Filipino journalists report death threats; broadcaster arrested

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is
concerned about the death threats received by two journalists over the
weekend, as well as the arrest this morning of a radio broadcaster in
General Santos City.

On Friday and Saturday, Suzanne Salva, a 29-year-old reporter for Cebu
Daily News, received text messages on her phone warning her that she
would be killed. Salva suspects that one of her sources was behind the
death threats. The police are still investigating the incidents.

On Sunday, May 8, a man identified as Boyet Marcelo went to see San
Pablo City journalist Dodie Banzuela and allegedly threatened to kill
Banzuela. According to Banzuela, Marcelo is also a columnist of a
local paper who works at the Barangay Affairs Office at city hall.
Marcelo is identified with the camp of a San Pablo City mayor Vicente
Amante, who is the subject of a corruption complaint filed by Banzuela
and another journalist before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Today, Monday morning, police arrested Al Josol, the station manager
of DXMD, the station of Radio Mindanao Network in General Santos City.
Josol was hosting an early-morning radio show when the police arrived
and arrested him for libel. The complainant is Sarah Jane Manilay, the
wife of GenSan's city tourism officer. Josol is a correspondent of the
Mindanao Daily Mirror based in Davao City.

These incidents indicate just how dangerous the conditions under which
Filipino journalists operate. Aside from the continuous killings of
Filipino journalists, several of them face threats such as these every
day.

NUJP reiterates its position that the country's libel law should be
decriminalized because it is an affront to press freedom.

We call on the police, particularly the Task Force Newsman, to
thoroughly investigate the threats against Banzuela and Salva, which
came on the heels of the death threats reported by journalists John
Paul B. Tia, station manager of MBC-Aksyon Radyo in Iloilo City, by
Negros Defense Press Corps president and Visayan Daily Star reporter
Gilbert Bayoran and broadcaster Annie Calderon, and Louie Logarta of
the Daily Tribune broadsheet.

For reference:

INDAY ESPINA-VARONA
Chairperson

CARLOS H. CONDE
Secretary-General

--

***********************************************************************
NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES
www.nujp.org
105-A Scout Castor Street (near Morato Avenue)
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel.: (+632) 4117768
Email: info@nujp.org
***********************************************************************

Are you a journalist under threat?
Report it to NUJP's Threat Hotline: (+63) 916-7512522
or email it to threat@nujp.org
********************************************************
"There can be no press freedom if journalists
exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear."
********************************************************

[renell]

But isn't the issue of press freedom different from press risking their lives in obviously dangerous areas? Isn't press freedom Marcos shutting down TV and radio, and muslim insurgents kidnapping and beheading them another thing? Or am I just too uninformed at the moment?

[bagel]

Well... as members of the press, they can publish anything that they want. But because of issues of intimidation-- say you want to do an expose of a druglord who may or may not muster the resources to put a contract on your head --the press could be reluctant to do their duty. If the press exists as a group that heralds honesty and transparency in support of a free democracy, then they cannot do their work in conditions where they get killed for doing their job. So yes, legally, they are free. But in reality, they are not. What we have here are violent roadblocks to the excercise of press freedom. It is a kind of pre-emptive censorship. And when violence actually does happen (like in slayings of local journalists in the provinces for daring to report on ill actions by local politicians, police forces, or warlords) that is the ultimate censorship. The journalist's work is ultimately silenced because the journalist is killed. What stronger form of censorship is there than this?

Now we can say that it is the journalist's responsibility to be safe. But the fact is, these slayings are not being solved. The government is not doing what it can to protect these freedoms by prosecuting warlords, corrupt officials or corrupt police officers involved with the slayings. There is also a possibility (POSSIBILITY--- this doesn't imply guilt) that the government (at various levels) could also be involved in silencing its critics.

The second part of this comment is that the in many cases, the intimidating party in question can be the Armed Forces of the Philippines-- a part of the state. If they keep on branding press freedom groups like NUJP, PCIJ ( http://www.pcij.org ), etc. as "enemies of the state" that have "links to the communists" then they're effectively intimidating these groups from committing what they're supposed to do: investigate and report. The military is in essence calling the press terrorists for being the press. Now lest you think that perhaps PCIJ is really in cahoots with the communists, we don't know that. But they do espouse ideas like land reform and social justice, which the military rightists may associate with the communists.

Also targeted on the same list of "communist front" organizations is the Catholic Bishops Council of the Philippines (CBCP) and the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP). This was reported in the Inquirer http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php/?index=1&story_id=32706.

So yeah... Legally there is freedom of the press. But in reality, because of intimidation and violence from various government and non-government sources, there is less freedom than we think.

[simply_me]

relative to these journalists killings, news said that press may be given right to carry arms... i don't think this will solve the issue... "ARMED PRESS PEOPLE"

[bustero]

I think there is de facto press freedom in the Philippines. While there are theoretical roadblocks, The fact is you only have to read the newspaper, listen to tv and radio to know that this is the case. The ironic part is that decriminilizing libel is a joke as not a single case has actually prospered with this law. What actually exists is that everyone has something to say and the common tao is so wary and cynical that they believe nothing and only kurokuro.

There also needs to be some subtlety in analyzing this. Most of the journalist being murdered are in the province reporting local news. And it's most pr0bably the case that system ia being corrupted once again to prevent the murderes from being prosecuted. BUT this happens in many occupations as well. The fact is much more barangay policticians get killed in a year than journalist, but no reports and tracks that the PHilippines leads in public servants murder. AND they get solved with the same lack of speed and success. THere is no national policy or from Malacanang, to Provincial Governments or the Military to kill journalist and even the capability to execute such policy. The fact is they couldn't even prevent these murders if they wanted to as this is all local.

What stands out is that Media here in the Philippines is very similar to the lcoal senate, They are very self important considering themselves the only true guardian against tyranny, and corruption, hence are very keen to report on any attack on their fellow reporters. As I said earlier the rankings are not really accurate. We just have way more jouirnalist than most other countries. So it should be properly compared apples to apples if they really want to do this list properly. Otherwise it's the same sensatinoalistic, cheesy fast food reporting that is usually the standard here.

[Lili]

So, what is ineffective here is the criminal justice system -- the s--l--o--w grind of the law. Whoever the victims are, be they journalists, politicians, clergy or the common tao, the violence and murders should not be allowed to happen with impunity.

[dancethingy]

I wanted to start this thread because i was wondering if any of you know any good sources of journalism in the country.

I think something wrong happened while the country's press was developing. The press here is very sensationalist and very biased.

For example I don't get why almost every article i read mentions "arroyo has been under fire since june when tapes...." or "Arroyo has been accused of cheating...." These lines even appear in every business article i read for example. I know however, that "THE ISSUE" has something to do with business, but i hate it when article digress like that.

The Philippine Inquirer for example seems to almost want to favor choas by providing articles such as this http://news.inq7.net/top/index.php?index=1&story_id=44086 The polling of Metro Manila alone should not be significant for a NATIONAL newspaper. The polling itself seems illegitimate since in doesn't mention if it was done scientifically. Also, if Metro Manilans think that Lacson, Roces, and Estrada would make viable or good leaders, they are SERIOUSLY FUCKED UP.

There is so much irresponsible journalism going on. Also, why would some newspapers who were responsible for deposing most of the opposition now, like the Estrada family or Marcus family, be supporting them now? I just don't get it.

It would be nice to have sources that provide unbiased, objective, and responsible journalism.

I propose a list of those sources. Unfortunately, i don't know one yet.

[sandrin]

Inquirer is a tabloid newspaper. Advertisers must now boycott them because their headlines tend to ruin the Philippine's image and economy further.The advertising fees being paid to them would only serve as a liability for the company. Who in the heck would event think of posting an add to a newspaper who's main intention is to ruin business on a massive scale.

[dancethingy]

I knew it. There was something fishy about the inquirer for me since the day I got here. There something so Fox News-ish about it. I'm reading all the wrong shit.

[Mango]

Taken from manilabulletin
What makes a good journalist?
By LEAH C. SALTERIO

Someone who has worked for the world’s largest network and has an illustrious and unparalleled track record in the local broadcasting industry can give a truthful answer to that question.


Maria Ressa, who brings her awardwinning 17-year experience in CNN to her new job as ABS-CBN news chief, has spent her professional life learning how to define journalism, live it and institutionalize it.

"I am passionate about journalism," Maria said. "I believe societies are made and broken by the quality of its journalists. In my job for CNN, I looked at myself as a conduit, and in every story, I realize I am bridging cultures. It’s not my job to judge people and events and customs. It’s my job to explain them. It’s about the whys."

Journalism was the topic which Maria discussed during the recent Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines (EJAP) forum, where she talked about "News Reporting: A Global Perspective."

Maria insists there is no such thing as an objective journalist. "That animal doesn’t exist," she maintained. "If someone tells you it’s possible to be objective, they’re lying or naïve. The best we can do is try to present a comprehensive, balanced perspective. A good journalist is someone who weaves together different perspectives and tries to give a complete picture. He also adds context and analysis – Why are we here? How did we get here? What’s the mood?"

Born in the Philippines, Maria moved to the United States with her family soon after Martial Law was declared. She grew up in New York, so the Philippines existed as a "vague, intriguing memory."

She was in her last year at Princeton University when People Power toppled a dictator. "I couldn’t afford to come back to Manila on my own – starving student then – so I did what all students do, I applied for a fellowship, the Fulbright. That would give me a year to understand the Philippines, I thought. My one-year fellowship turned into a life choice: I never returned to the United States. In 1987, I helped start a company called Probe Productions."

Before accepting the ABS-CBN post, Maria was CNN’s lead investigative reporter in Asia. In 1988, she was named CNN’s Manila Bureau chief and in 1995, she became CNN’s Jakarta Bureau chief, responsible for CNN’s coverage of Southeast Asia.

For nearly 18 years that she covered Southeast Asia for CNN, Maria was there at every historic event, not just in our region but also in North and South Asia. "I’ve lived through riots, beheadings and so much violence," she shared. "But I’ve also lived through some glorious moments, watching societies transition to democracy, seeing the resilience and goodness of human nature in the face of disasters. It has been a tremendous privilege – a chapter of my life I voluntarily closed at the end of last year because I felt it was time to come home."

Until she joined ABS-CBN at the start of the year, Maria attests the best and most fulfilling experience she had as a journalist was not with CNN – although there were many high points. It was Probe Productions, a company few outside the Philippines had even heard of, "because I felt we were doing what journalists are supposed to be doing. We created a company that lived our ideals."

Maria laments that international media has been dominated by a decidedly western perspective. She is referring to countries with the resources, with the networks which placed news on a high priority and invested in news-gathering. But companies like CNN, BBC, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, then got to determine the news. Inevitably, it’s filtered through their cultural lenses.

"There is a global marketplace of ideas out there, and one of the things I constantly lament is the noticeable absence of Asian and non-western perspectives," she observed. "As a journalist who has worked in different countries, I have seen first-hand how perception becomes reality, how moods and feelings – not facts – have shaped the world we live in.

"Those moods and feelings – if manipulated by someone ignorant of their effects – can topple the best-laid plans of any government. I’m not talking of hidden agendas or conspiracy theories. I’m talking about just plain ignorance and vested interest – of not being aware of how what you do fits into a bigger picture.

"That’s what happens when journalists don’t do their jobs well, when we play to the public or deadline pressures instead of being thorough and accountable, when we work like a pack instead of thinking and analyzing on our own. In television, when personalities and ratings become more important than the stories we cover."

Maria advises journalists "to push cynicism aside, remain open to all, listen and keep reminding yourself why you wanted to be a journalist. And above all, stay true to your ideals."

She hastens to remind, though, that journalists are only as good as their last story, and in order to get better, they have to practice the craft every day in order to create a sophisticated message. These are the skills Maria says she wants to pass on. With CNN, she learned the form, the style, how to use the medium.

"That is something you can pick up. It’s like learning the scales of the piano. You have to know technique before you can actually play, let alone, write music. So I encourage you to work on your skills. The message becomes more sophisticated as your skills level increases. That’s certainly what happened to me, but you have to benchmark yourself not just against local standards but against the higher ones set internationally.

Lastly, Maria imparts to journalists the essence of hard work. "Work hard, harder than anyone around you. That is the reason my perspective is different, the reason why I broke so many stories for CNN. When you do the news and you take it seriously, everything you do is part of it, helps define the news – after all, the best case studies are the ones you find when you’re living your life…

"Remind yourself of the power journalists hold and be humbled by it. Strive to be worthy of it. Journalists have tremendous power, and if you don’t think it through, you may be making decisions that will have incredible repercussions in a developing society like ours. Reality as we see it – and know it – is being crafted every day, every hour, every minute, by people like you and me. If we do our jobs well, we will have done our part in creating a better world."

Maria graduated from Princeton University and received a Fulbright Fellowship to attend graduate school at the University of the Philippines. Her recent awards include the Asian TV Award in 1999 for Indonesia, the SAIS-Novartis International Journalism Award in 2000 for East Timor, the Ferris Professorship of Journalism in 2001 and the National Headliner Award for Investigative Journalism and the TOYM Philippines in 2002.

In 2003, Maria received an Emmy nomination for "Terrorism: Al-Qaeda" in the category of Outstanding Investigative Journalism. In 2004, she received a Judges’ Citation from the US Overseas Press Club for best documentary, "Seeds of Terror." It is also the title of her book, published by Simon and Schuster in the United States. A groundbreaking investigation of Al-Qaeda’s links in Southeast Asia, the book became a bestseller in the Philippines after its first month of release.

[dancethingy]

Wow, thanks sooooooo much for that Mango.

I completely agree with her. The founding fathers of the United States placed so much importance on the role of the press, that it pains me to see it when the press becomes manipulated.

I believe that press was to be called the fourth estate. You know there are three branches in Government in the US and here in the Philippines. The three branches would watch each other in a checks and balance procedure. Well, the founding fathers never institutionalized it, but the fourth estate, which is the PRESS, is supposed to be THE FOURTH CHECK.

I think sometimes that journalism in this country is so irresponsible and undisciplined that they do their fare share of keeping our economy so stagnant. After all, what journalists put on our newspapers are what the rest of the world perceive to be what is going on in the hearts and minds of ALL Filipinos.

Maria Ressa is light at the end of our tunnel. I hope that she uses all in her pool of knowledge to establish a more credible source of information here in the Philippines. In other words, she needs to start a grassroots newspaper that would hopefully someday turn into a heralded national paper, the same way the New York Times is respected. I also think establishing a Philippine School of Journalism would be great. I don't know if UP has a program like it, but if they do, then they haven't produced enough to benefit the country.

So only Mango and Sandrin cares about this topic. How about the Philippine star or the Manila Bulletin? Are these newspapers meet the honorable standards of journalism? I've been reading Manila Bulletin and the paper itself seems to be fair.

[bagel]

I do not think that the Inquirer is a tabloid paper. On the contrary it is the newspaper of record in the Philippines and has been so since after the first People Power that catapulted Corazon Aquino into the presidency. The secret to the success of the Inquirer and its nearest rival the Star (rival in terms of editorial and journalistic practice and not circulation-- if circulation is counted, then I believe the Inquirer and the Manila Bulletin are neck and neck, but I'm going by numbers from at least 2 years ago) is the independence of the paper's editors.

I do believe that the press is there to act as a check on the government and on the businesses. For this reason, newspapers like the Standard and the Bulletin cannot sufficiently be called independent newspapers that serve the public good. To see how these papers operate, you need to look at the paper's leadership and the independence of its editorial staff and the business goals of the paper's owners. It has been noted that the owner of the Bulletin, Emilio Yap uses the paper as a way to further his own business interests, and since the Marcos regime, its editorial pages and journalistic practices have tended towards the safe side in that they are cautious in criticizing power players in Philippine politics.

Recent history shows that papers that have more independent news editors (by independent, I mean the lack of interference from ownership) have been targets by sitting governments. In 2000, the Gokongweis, then owners of the venerable Manila Times, whose paper's mission included an independent editorial staff were targets of the Estrada regime for their supposed "smearing" of the president. They called Erap the unwitting ninong of a corrupt business deal. For this, Erap sued them for libel and their ownership got pressured into reining in their editors and eventually sold out because this press business could endanger their other businesses. If you ask me, the Times board were doing what they were supposed to do: report on anomalies by the government and act as the fourth estate. I don't know if it's still the same today but shortly after the Gokongweis escaped the press business, Mark Jimenez, a close ally of Erap purchased the Times. I seriously doubt that their editors are as intrepid now as their editors were during the Estrada administration.

At around the same time, the other paper that had a similarly independent editorial group, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, were also doing their own investigations into the anomalous dealings of Erap. For this, Erap pressured his friends in the entertainment industry to instigate a boycott of the Inquirer. Advertising revenue from the entertainment industry disappeared and through this, the Inquirer stayed the course and kept on investigating the president. Back then they were called sensationalistic by the Erap regime, like their Manila Times counterparts. And yet no outrage came from supporters of the Lakas bloc back then.

Fast forward to today. Some people call the Inquirer a sensationalistic newspaper (the way the Times was called sensational in 1999-2000). But is it sensational or are they doing their job of acting as a check on abuses of power? Are they bringing to light the dark truths of politics or are they playing politics? Is being a "safe" paper also not playing politics? Is there a way to be a journalist and be non-political? I feel that the comparison between Fox News and Inquirer is incorrect. The Bulletin, and perhaps the current incarnation of the Times may be a more apt comparison to Fox news, particularly because in some of these newspapers, the line between the business interests of the owners and the sitting government can be more clearly seen. I suppose if you're the target of criticism, then you call your critics sensational. But what if your critics are simply doing what they are called upon to do as the fourth estate? Are the Star and the Inquirer doing anything different now than they were in 2001?

[bagel]

Here's an interesting article on the Philippine press. It examines the ownership and interests of the owners of the various newspapers. Because of the length, I will not post the article here.

Instead, a URL:

http://www.pcij.org/imag/PublicEye/lords.html

This article is about the state of the press around 2000.

[Lili]

Bravo Mike! That is a well-argued piece on the role of the fouth estate and the history/background of the leading newspapers in the Philippines.

Quote: Dancethingy: "It would be nice to have sources that provide unbiased, objective, and responsible journalism."

I doubt if there is such thing as unbiased and objective journalism nowadays. The presentation of news is always seen through the filters of the journalists' own subjective views and biases. Even the selection of what news to present will be based on what may be of interest to the readers. But perhaps we can still aspire for responsible journalism.

[jbkayaker12]

If you are interested in reading newspapers in the Philippines then check out Web Filipino (http://www.webfilipino.com). The Inquirer is not tabloid newspaper. It a fair and balanced newspaper. All you have to do is compare its content with the rest and you will see that it is a reliable source of information.

I find the Daily Tribune to be anti government, it seem like all its headlines are negative toward the current administration. It does not publish anything positive about the current administration and I am not even talking about what is going on currently, it has been this way for a long time now, I dont read it anymore.

[dancethingy]

The editors of a newspaper can be as independent as they want, but their integrity as good journalists can definitely influence the slant of their articles.

I guess i'm used to New York Times or Washington Post Journalism. I have doubts on the Inquirer because it never really tackles issues in a thorough investigation. I haven't read a long study from any journalist in the inquirer regarding social issues; infrastructure; international diplomatic and security issues; and absolutely no significant insight on any of the politicians in Congress. The New York Times's investigative work on the hundreds of tons of weapons lost by the US army when they invaded Iraq is a great example of giving the public something they don't know. The Chicago Tribune, which i deride, published a great five part series on the Chicago's evolving south side neighborhood (if any of you don't know, the place is like a war zone between the Chicago police department and the African American's that live in the area) and it's work like this that convinces you of a newspapers ability to delve into issues in order for their audience to gain insight. In all honesty, you can't gain insight from the Inquirer.

Like today, the Philippine star highlighted on their web site that the "opposition group" has formed a proposed "transition or government caretaker body" in the scenario that Arroyo and DeCastro will be replaced. That is the story now, but in the days that will follow, this so called transition government will not be deconstructed, analyzed, and evaluated by the paper that wrote the news. In other words, there is no follow up on the specifics.

Let's also take this article by the inquirer for example http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=44401

While Lacson is someone the inquirer should listen to and their reporting of his "rant" (as i believe it should be labeled) is good, the Inquirer has or will never really delve into some of the things that Lacson has "ranted" about. For example the Inquirer has not and probably will not explore:

- Factors worsening poverty in the country; several alternatives on how to relieve it; how the people can help; and what direction the current administration is taking to curve poverty among the masses.

- The state of the Nation's debt and where it is headed. Where is the administration taking this debt and what programs and steps are they taking to curb it

- The inquirer also has not written in EXTENSIVE detail the veracity of the
accusations of corruption being hurled at Arroyo. Has the paper attempted
to clarify exactly what the tapes say? I don't mean to just careen over the jueteng and wired tape issues, but i just don't see the paper writing stuff about it that the public really doesn't know.

- The paper also quotes this from Lacson,
"On the true state of health and hunger, Lacson said 56.9 percent of Filipino got less than 100 percent dietary energy requirement and 50 percent of the population had no health care access."

Now will the paper delve deeper into the social impact of lack of healthcare to 50% of Filipinos or lack of food? Will the paper someday write an extensive article regarding different ideas that could relieve such hardships? Will the paper elaborate on exactly what the President and PAST PRESIDENTS have done wrong regarding this issue? Will the paper cite any progress by the Arroyo administration on the issue?

PROBABLY NOT

There are lots of things a good newspaper can write about and the INQUIRER has focused on only one thing, and that is POLITICS. Why, because that is where the drama is! and that is what makes a tabloid newspaper, its ability to publish drama without taking sides instead of exploring more pressing issues.

The Inquirer to me, just reports whatever the opposition and the administration says and then the editors write their opinion about it. Their editorial board seems all anti-arroyo with no balance that favors the current administration. What fox news and inquirer have in common is that they scratch the surface of all the "news" going on. They also have the knack of reporting "rumors," and making them sound to be true. I like my news to factual.

I guess what i'm saying is that there is news reporting, but no REAL ANALYSIS or exploration of the issue being covered.

Boybaha, corporate ownership of the press is exactly the threat i HIGHLIGHTED in my earlier post. That is why I hope, Maria Ressa, will find the strenght and resources to start her own grassroots paper.

[bustero]

As I posted previously, in the inquirer website there are links to newsbreak which is weekly newspaper. I think the journalism standards there are higher. Of the local broadsheets, I think Business World has the highest standards. Then Star over inuirer. The bulletin is more like a newsletter, and the others have such a small circulation. I would classify the inquirer as very tabloidish if not an outrought tabloid, I will never forget the fact that they highlighted Chris Aquino getting married as a HEADLINE, (what news!) and then actually slink away with a quiet retraction. Also with the headless gory bodies, there's no doubt in my mind which is more important to them (journalism vs. business). fox fox fox fox

None of the local news agencies whether print or tv has the same levels as the NY times, the economist or the BBC. I do not accept the reason that we are a 3rd world nation. (afterall the international press is full of filipinos themselves)Nevertheless you take what you can get.

[sandrin]

Try to compare the headlines of the major Philippine Newspapers such as The Philippine Star, Manila Standard, Manila Bulletin, Business World, People's Journal, Abante, etc. Most of the Inquirer's headline is almost at par with tabloids like People's Journal and Abante. Oftentimes, the inquirer's headlines mislead the article body itself.

Advertisers particularly the Real Estate Industry must boycott them. The main reason why the Real estate companies post adds to the Inquirer is because of their popularity. But do you really think the audience will buy when all they see on the headlines is chaos. The inquirer scares away the potential real estate buyers. The advertising fee being paid by the companies only go into waste.

[dancethingy]

Thank you Bustero, the Business World will do for now.

[jbkayaker12]

I like the old set up of Busines World Online compared to their recent set up. In the past everything was in columns, easier to navigate and read, now it is a mess, have a look.

Business World Online (http://www.bworld.com.ph)

[Mango]

This is an interesting analysis from a respectable mediaman herself...
It shows how some media are guilty of "dagdag-bawas", too.
Get Real : The media and the lynch-mob mentality

First posted 11:40pm (Mla time) July 22, 2005
By Solita Collas- Monsod
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A12 of the July 23, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


I THINK I may have been one of the fiercest critics of President gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the years, with my criticisms particularly focused on, but not limited to, her economic policy. I also admit that I may have imposed higher standards on her because she is an economist. But in any event, I would like to think that these criticisms were based on solid grounds rather than on conjectures and speculations. And they were definitely not partisan or ideological in motivation. The objective was always to look out for national rather than personal interests.

Which is why I want no part of what has to be called the lynch-mob mentality that has seemed to grip the nation, fed by, I am sorry to say, the media, which, more often than I am comfortable with, cannot seem to distinguish between generating news and reporting it. When that happens, a vicious cycle occurs: We generate our own excitement, then we panic because of it, and people get caught up in the hysteria, which then results in generating more excitement....

Take for example the June 27 nationwide broadcast where the President apologized for her lapse in judgment. Who was immediately asked to react? Certainly not the man-on-the-street. Tremendous emphasis was given to the opposition's reactions, starting with the jailed Joseph Estrada, which were predictably unfavorable; and much less emphasis (and I think column-inches or air-time analysis will bear this out) on the reaction of administration stalwarts, which were predictably favorable. Even more unfortunate, the "I am sorry" part of the President's statement was focused on, practically ignoring the rest.

Let's just follow one thread in that reaction pattern: Susan Roces on the basis of the President's statement and her (Ms Arroyo's) eyes, accused her of stealing the presidency -- not once, but twice -- and of insincerity. No one bothered to ask what in the Arroyo statement, or for that matter the tapes, could possibly have been the basis of that accusation. But it has caught hold of the public's imagination. Anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon: My upholsterer in Subic asked me what should happen now that President Arroyo had admitted that she cheated in order to win. Is it any wonder that a very large majority of the population want her to resign or be impeached?

And yet one recalls, the President made no such admission. But the opposition fanned the flames, repeating the accusation that she stole the elections with practically every breath they took. This was duly recorded by the media. And while I may be casting too much blame on a sector to which I belong, there were at most only feeble attempts to bring balance to the reporting.

Couldn't there have been at least an attempt to determine whether those conversations could have indeed resulted in stealing an election? Because if the attempt had been made, some timing inconsistencies would be revealed. The conversations took place from May 27, after all the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) were already in Congress. With all the security attendant to those COCs, not even a Houdini (much less a Virgilio Garcillano) would have been able to alter them to suit his evil purposes. The "dagdagan, dagdagan" [vote-padding] theory falls apart.

Couldn't there have been a brief review to remind ourselves of what transpired in the run-up to and the aftermath of the elections? Because if there had been one, the releases of the poll groups Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia at the time would show that Ms Arroyo had overtaken Fernando Poe Jr. in the polls and as of the week before the elections, the difference between them was statistically significant nationwide. While Metro Manila and Luzon and Mindanao could go either way, the lead in the Visayas was so commanding (57 percent Arroyo, 20 percent Poe) as to ensure her victory. Which is what happened.

Also, Bill Luz of the election watchdog group Namfrel was quoted as saying: "We didn't see enough electoral anomalies at the national level to have a material effect on the national results"-i.e., of course there was cheating (there always is, and this must be punished), but nobody stole an election.

And a year later, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), through Archbishop Fernando Capalla, said: "It is the view of the bishops that the results of the elections reflected the will of the Filipino people." Unfortunately, not much attention was given by the media to this statement.

And finally, amid all the furor over the latest survey results, surely it would not have been too much to report that in one survey (June 28-30), while 18 percent wanted resignation and 20 percent wanted status quo, 26 percent of those surveyed wanted more information. This was totally ignored.

Also ignored is that in the latest Social Weather Stations survey, 62 percent were in favor of a truth commission-which means that whether they wanted resignation or impeachment, they also wanted the facts. (Perhaps their cool heads struggling to overcome their warm hearts? There may be hope yet.)

Am I saying that media are in some way to blame for this lynch-mob mentality? Another bit of anecdotal evidence here: When asked what they thought would be the outcome of their demonstrations against Ms Arroyo, a spokesman said, "It depends -- on the media and the military." Not necessarily in that order, would be my guess.

But we must also blame ourselves. Surely it cannot have escaped our notice that most of those making the noise are also-rans and people with self-serving agendas. We should all refuse to be railroaded by these people who don't want facts to get in the way of their conclusions and their ambitions.

[dancethingy]

Solito Collas has said it all about how I feel about the media in this time of crisis. SHE HAS STATED IT ALL FOR ME.

[dancethingy]

I thought you guys might want to read this

From the FRONT PAGES OF THE NEW YORK TIMES. WOW

Manila Journal
Editors Tackle Taboos With Girlish Glee

E-Mail This
Printer-Friendly
Reprints


By RAYMOND BONNER
Published: July 25, 2005
MANILA, July 22 - "I'm sorry, but I just can't control those girls." That is how one of this country's tycoons is said to deflect complaints about articles in Newsbreak, a magazine he founded.

Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image

Lyn Rillon for The New York Times
The editors of Newsbreak, Marites Danguilan Vitug, left, and Glenda M. Gloria, at the magazine's offices.
"Those girls" are the women who edit and manage the magazine, which, with its spunk and spice, has more than demonstrated its independence from the privileged and powerful. Newsbreak has brought down a senator, set off an investigation into corruption in the military, and - most daring of all - exposed the fault lines inside this country's most influential institution: the Roman Catholic Church.

This month, with the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on the brink, "those girls" put out a special edition: an account of a meeting of the council of bishops, during which the papal nuncio told them - "scolded them," the magazine said - to stay out of politics.

What stunned most Filipinos, accustomed to the past involvement in politics by the church, was that the bishops neither endorsed Mrs. Arroyo, nor called for her resignation.

"Those girls" are the editor, Marites Danguilan Vitug, a 50-year-old with an infectious laugh that punctuates every conversation, and the managing editor, Glenda M. Gloria, just turned 40, a former senior editor at one of the country's major daily newspapers. Ten of Newsbreak's 14 senior editors and writers are women.

Since the end of Ferdinand E. Marcos' dictatorial rule in 1986, the Philippine press has been free. But being free doesn't necessarily mean being responsible, and the newspapers in this archipelago of 87 million people are as raucous as the politics.

Businesses in the region still pay journalists under the table, and powerful people routinely file libel suits that get favorable hearings. Such suits have nearly destroyed the high quality Indonesian magazine Tempo, which has worked with Newsbreak to report on Islam in Southeast Asia.

In Newsbreak's first issue - Jan. 24, 2001 - the editors advised readers: "The magazine's staff is composed of journalists who believe in honest, incisive, and spunky reportage." Few would doubt it has succeeded in that. The editors added, "We like to believe that good journalism sells." That is questionable here.

Newsbreak has barely 1,000 paid subscribers, and about 2,000 newsstand sales. But the subscriber list includes more than half of the Philippine Congress, and just about every embassy in Manila.

The magazine was conceived in 2000, when two venture capitalists, members of the country's elite, unhappy with the superficiality, sensationalism and lack of balance in the coverage of the country's mainstream dailies, approached Ms. Vitug and Ms. Gloria.

The two women, both of whom studied at the London School of Economics, had just finished a book, "Under the Crescent Moon: Rebellion in Mindanao," about the rise of the Islamic movement, including the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, on the southern island of Mindanao.

It is a book that foreign diplomats here have on the shelf as essential reading about a region where the United States has had a military presence since 2002.

The men were thinking of a Web site. The women thought a weekly magazine would be better. (It is now biweekly, for lack of money, and many of the articles appear on the Web site of The Philippine Daily Inquirer - www.inq7.net.) The men insist on remaining behind the scenes and the episode about "those girls" was related by the women themselves.

The magazine's first major challenge to entrenched power was almost its demise.

In February 2003, the cover story was about a Catholic bishop, one of the country's most powerful, who had carried on an affair with a married woman and had fathered a child by her.

The magazine found the woman and interviewed her for three hours, unearthing details about the affair and documents in which the bishop, Crisostomo Yalung had acknowledged paternity.

In a country that is 80 percent Catholic, "un-Christian" was among the nicer epithets thrown at the editors. Ms. Gloria's mother, a staunch Catholic, told her daughter she disapproved.

Church leaders were furious, and under pressure, one member of the magazine's board resigned.

"We thought we wouldn't survive," Ms. Vitug recalled.

Instead, it was a turning point. "It put us on the map," Ms. Vitug said, with her laugh.

(The bishop left the country, and is believed to be in the United States, Ms. Gloria said.)

Four months later, the magazine ran another cover story about a bishop accused of out-of-town trysts and sexual harassment.

It has been equally uncompromising in looking at corruption in the military. One cover had the photograph of a general superimposed over a $100 bill. Using various property search services they found on the Internet, the reporters had discovered that the general owned a condominium in Trump Tower and other property in the United States. (The general is under house arrest as authorities investigate.)

The property searches cost $100, Ms. Gloria said - a not insignificant sum for the magazine, whose offices are four small rooms on the fifth floor of an apartment building.

It still gets some money from its wealthy founders, but as venture capitalists they had intended for the publication to support itself eventually rather than to continue to be subsidized.

Asked what magazines are the models for Newsbreak, Ms. Vitug said, "Vanity Fair" and "Mother Jones" - the former for covers that sell, and the latter because it raises money from foundations and even other governments.

For more reporting in Mindanao, the magazine has received $42,000 from the United States Institute of Peace, a Congressionally funded nonpartisan organization based in Washington that promotes the prevention and resolution of conflicts.

For a story about how federalism might work in the Philippines - currently, virtually all power in the sprawling archipelago resides in Manila, with little authority in the provinces - the editors approached the Swiss Embassy, which gave them $10,000.

The editors know they must pay more attention to getting subscribers and selling advertising.

But they don't want to stop being reporters themselves.

"When you're small, you have fun," Ms. Gloria said. "That's why we don't want to get too big."

[sandrin]

So not only that the News break journalists accept payment to push the propaganda of the opposition and some businessmen but they also "extort" money to cook up a good story. I wonder how much Lacson pays them.

[Lili]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/25/international/asia/25filip.html?ex=1122955200&en=28d1fd5da03704e7&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Oops, sorry. Dancethingy already posted the actual article.

[Mango]

Taken from the manila times

Tuesday, July 26, 2005
THINKING ALOUD
By Roberto Lazaro
Truth in journalism

Truth, whether in journalism or anywhere else, exists in two forms: (1) as it exists in the object where it inheres; (2) as it exists in the mind of the perceiver.

As it exists in an object, it is viewed as the objective truth, the truth in reality, e.g., the truth in an event as the event actually took place and in the way it actually happened.

The truth in the perceiver’s mind is how the perceiver sees it, depending on many personal factors in the individual. For the most part, it is a matter of personal conviction. Which is saying that a person’s knowledge of truth is a matter of his faith in his conviction. Therefore, when a journalist perceives the truth in his object, he has already taken sides without realizing that he is probably being subjective in so doing.

Truth may be difficult to establish because objectivity is difficult to establish, and objectivity is founded on truth, as truth is founded on objectivity. However, in spite of the subjective perception of the journalist, there is still the objective truth in real names, places, events, identities. These are what, after all, the readers want to read and learn, and for them, the news reports they read are expressions of the truth.

Truth in journalism is primary; all else takes a backseat. Therefore, respect for truth and for the right of the public to truth is the first duty of the journalist. Every bit of news and every bit of information he gives out must be inspired and propelled by truth, the underlying principle behind all communication. For without truth as the motivating force of human acts, a person cannot be truly and objectively free in his decisions, in his choices and in his courses of action.

Image, reputation, credibility, viability, profit or whatever, begins and ends with truth in news reporting. Profit begins with truth in reporting. Style, writing skills, flair, superior research would amount to nothing if the truth is slanted or altered in order to achieve dubious ends, e.g., to misinform, to cover-up anomalies in government, or to favor or to promote a specific interest at the expense of the public good.

Truth is a guiding principle and an ultimate end of the journalist. It is a guiding principle because it provides the journalist with the direction he should take along the path of objectivity. And it is an ultimate goal to which all journalistic must tend, but which can be achieved only if the journalist and his newspaper would abide by the imperatives of truth from which fairness and accuracy are drawn.

Truth is not just a powerful defense against seriously damaging falsehoods, e.g., black propaganda or libel but is also a powerful motivator. It motivates professional writers to expose wrong doings in and out of the government, in business and in other sectors of power and influence in society. It requires objectivity and accuracy. Otherwise, truth loses its value and the news becomes a worthless piece of scrap.

Truth in journalism is not an empty play of words but a straight-to-the-point reality, not hiding behind cloaks, but a head-on collision with hard facts. Truth is truth in all angles and no attempt to detract from it can be justified. Deadlines, competition for newsbreaks and the need to catch public attention are not excuses for inaccuracies, slanting or semantics.

Truth-telling in journalism starts with the sourcing of information. The sources of information of a journalist are all those to which his senses have access. In other words, the sources of truth for a journalist come through his sense perceptions. This is because nothing is captured by the intellect which is not first in. the senses. Every bit of information he gathers, and every idea created in his mind, comes through his senses: his visual sense (sight), his auditory sense (hearing), his olfactory sense (smell), his gustatory sense (taste), and his tactile/kinetic sense (touch).

The para-psychological senses (intuition, the sixth sense, the third eye, etc.) must not be used by the journalist in his search of truth in news reporting.

Truths-telling in the processing of a news story that takes place in the newsroom is the editor’s concern. If the field reporter is expected to be truthful, so is the editor who passes judgment on the newsworthiness and trustworthiness of the news submitted to his desk. There should be no biased copy reading, no clipping of factual statements, no alterations of facts or truthful intents of the writer, no misleading editorial euphemisms. Editorial cosmetics or window dressing of truth is journalistic anathema.

People deserve the truth; they must be given the truth.

[kiretoce]

Bump! :colgate:

================================================================

41% of Pinoys think news in RP media "purely negative."
The Philippine Star 10/27/2005

Nearly half of Filipinos are critical of the Philippine media, saying that most of the news reported is negative and counterproductive, according to an opinion survey.

Forty-one percent of 1,200 surveyed nationwide by respected pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) agreed that "often, news on television, on radio and in newspapers (is) purely negative and… no longer helping the country," while 29 percent disagreed. Twenty-eight percent were undecided.

Metro Manila — where most media organizations in the country are based — is the most critical, with 47 percent reporting its effects to be negative, followed by the rest of Luzon with 44 percent.

Thirty-three percent and 38 percent of Filipinos in the Visayas and Mindanao, respectively, gave critical responses in the survey.

SWS deputy manager Gerardo Sandoval said the opinion survey question was a so-called "rider question" posed by AMA Education System and was included in the SWS’ quarterly polling.

"We have included some items from AMA in our regular third quarter SWS survey report," he said.

Sandoval said they included nine questions from AMA in their August 26 to September 5 survey. He could not cite the poll questions in detail.

AMA is owned by special envoy Amable Aguiluz, an adviser of President Arroyo.

Johnny Ramos, AMA Education System vice president, said his company is a subscriber to SWS and they asked the survey firm to include some of the group’s questions in the latest SWS poll.

"Normally, our surveys refer to institutions, our understanding of the community and we also have rider questions to understand the political or economic climate in the country," Ramos told The STAR.

Ramos denied the questions were meant to help the Arroyo administration counter opposition-led moves to force the President from office over allegations that she cheated in last year’s presidential election.

"I don’t think so. We do this quarterly on economic, political questions but I don’t think this is related to that," he said.

In a separate statement, AMA explained that part of its subscription contract with SWS "allows it to generate specific survey items dealing with the technology-education industry and with the political climate."

In the same statement, AMA disclosed that the SWS survey found that 37 percent of Filipinos believe that "the opposition does not have a clear plan for the country. Its only objective is to bring down the current administration."

Twenty-eight percent disagreed with this statement while 31 percent were undecided.

[kiretoce]

Bump! :colgate:

[kiretoce]

RP is Deadliest Place for Journalists

NEW YORK – The Committee to Protect Journalists says the Philippines and Afghanistan were the most deadliest place for journalist last year.
In its annual report released last week, the committee also said press freedom suffered a setback in Thailand under the military government and that dozens of reporters remained behind bars in China.

"We look at most countries in Asia, and we see a real step backward," said Robert Dietz, Asia coordinator for the CPJ. "Things don’t look good. We don’t see any positive trends," he added.

CPJ said the Philippines and Afghanistan have each lost three journalists last year. (As expected, Manila rejected the CPJ’s findings.)

The Philippines and Afghanistan had the highest journalist deaths in the region last year, a number that was only overshadowed by the 32 journalists killed in Iraq in 2006. It added that conflicts in Pakistan and Sri Lanka where two journalists have so far been killed are expected to cause more deaths for journalists.

Worldwide, 55 journalists were killed in direct connection to their work in 2006, Dietz said. Another 30 deaths were being investigated to determine whether they also were linked to the journalists’ work.

Meanwhile, the total number of journalists jailed worldwide rose to 134 in 2006 - nine more than a year earlier.

At the same time, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders tagged presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo as the “new enemy of the Philippine press because of his series of libel suits filed againstjournalists in an attempt to silence them.

Reporters Sans Frontieres made this conclusion as it released a survey of press freedom in 98 countries around the world. RSF found it ironic that Arroyo lodged 43 libel complaints against journalists while his wife, President Arroyo, claimed that her government was “respectful of press freedom, an institution of Philippine democracy.”

Contrary to the New York report of the Committee to Protect Journalists, the RSF said six journalists were killed in the Philippines in 2006 and that “murders, assaults, arrests, abusive lawsuits and censorship were the hallmark of 2006 in this country.” There were at least 25 murder attempts and assaults and 10 arrests during 2006.

RSF said the Arroyo administration “has been widely criticized for its inability to act against the murderers of opposition and human rights activists,” with some politically committed journalists ending up as victims of political violence.

It said police and the courts have chalked up some successes in their struggle against the murderers of journalists, as shown by the sentencing to life imprisonment of four men found guilty of murdering Marlene Esperrat in March 2005.

“But collusion inside the justice system allowed those who ordered the killing to escape court for the time being,” it said.

It said “censorship also bit deeper” in 2006 because local politicians sought to silence opposition media.It noted that the mayor of Valencia City ordered the closure -0f radio dxVR in March 2006 because some of the media persons in the station were close to his political opponents. RSF said the worst violations were noted in repressive countries such as North Korea, Eritrea, Cuba and Turkmenistan.

“A disturbingly record number of journalists and media workers were killed or thrown in prison around the world in 2006 and we are already concerned about 2007, as six journalists and four media assistants have been killed in January alone," the introduction said.

It also expressed alarm over the “alarming lack of interest and sometimes even failure) by democratic countries in defending the values they are supposed to incarnate."

“Almost everyone believes in human rights these days but amid the silences and behavior on all sides, we wonder who now has the necessary moral authority to make a principled stand in favor of these freedoms," it said.

Noted an “alarming” peaking of press freedom violations in Asia in 2006, with 16 media workers killed, at least 328 arrested, 517 physically attacked or threatened and 478 media outlets censored.

“Censorship is very widespread and complete freedom to speak and write is rare in Asia," it said.

“Dictatorships also seem to be tightening their grip on the Internet and at least 60 people are in prison for posting criticism of the government online. China, the leading offender, is being copied by Vietnam, Syria, Tunisia, Libya and Iran and more and more bloggers and cyber-dissidents are in jail," it added.

[Sinjin P.]

One headline of today's TV Patrol World is funny:

Boarding House, ginawang pugad ng "ORGY" :lol:

Are those slang words already acceptable in media/journalism standards? Pwede namang

Boarding House, ginawang pugad ng kahalayan

[demented_pigeon]

^^ to be fair... direct to the point na ang salitang orgy. kasi pag sinabi mong kahalayan, anong klaseng kahalayan?

[Animo]

There are two theories that define the state of the Philippine press today – the bourgeois theory and the progressive theory. The bourgeois theory of the press retains its domination of the industry but with a new breed of owners and stockholders belonging to new wealthy families. The author read this paper at a conference of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) in Dumaguete City on April 14.

BY BOBBY TUAZON
Bulatlat

Any discussion about the theories of the press, to make them relevant to Philippine realities, should always be taken in the context of the social, economic and political conditions in a given historical period. Today, the continuing political crisis, armed conflict and even the state of rebellion are also manifested or mirrored in the state of the Philippine press.

To my mind, there are two theories that define the state of the Philippine press today. One is the bourgeois or corporate theory of the press, which some progressive groups also describe as reactionary. The other is the progressive theory, also referred to as "advocacy" or "alternative" theory. Necessarily, the two theories contradict each other, a situation that reflects the state of Philippine society as a whole.

The bourgeois theory traces its historical roots to the U.S. colonization of the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. The U.S. colonialist conquest of the Philippines that led to a protracted war resulting in the killing of more than one million Filipinos, was fanned by U.S. newspapers particularly those owned by William Randolph Hearst and the "yellow journalism" or sensationalism of Joseph Pulitzer which circulated black propaganda about Filipino "savages," alleged brutalities committed against U.S. troops and the need to Christianize and civilize the Filipinos. Ironically, while a group of Americans also began to establish newspapers in the Philippines, the U.S. colonial regime undertook a campaign of censorship and anti-sedition laws that were designed to suppress struggles for an end to colonial rule. In the long U.S. colonial rule of the Philippines, the bourgeois press introduced by the Americans supported colonialist aggression and the corporate interests of U.S. capitalism.

Eventually, in the post-independence period, the pro-imperialist, pro-corporate bourgeois press was continued but even as wealthy Filipinos established newspapers and then, later, radio and television stations, some Americans were still in control of a number of media establishments. Filipino elite families who began to monopolize the media industry considered their ownership of press establishments as a private enterprise – indeed, along the lines of American capitalism – and appropriated for themselves the civil libertarian doctrine of "freedom of the press" and "freedom of expression." In fact, however, the elite ownership of major newspapers, radio and TV networks basically had nothing to do with press freedom. What they were after was to use media ownership to promote their corporate interests as well as the vested interests of politicians or the political elite.

The Marcos dictatorship (1972-1986) led to the monopolization of the media industry by the Marcos families and their cronies. Under Marcos, the bourgeois press assumed an authoritative streak supported no less by martial law censorship. Many progressive journalists were arrested and held in military stockades, anti-Marcos newspapers and broadcast stations were closed or taken over by Marcos cronies. Newspapers, radio and TV networks run by Marcos cronies served as mouthpieces of the dictatorship under supervision of the Department (later, Ministry) of Public Information. The Marcos regime established the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP or Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines) as a means of controlling the broadcast industry under the doctrine of self-censorship.

Today, more than 20 years after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, the bourgeois theory of the press retains its domination of the industry albeit with a new breed of owners and stockholders belonging to new wealthy families, many of whom come from the Filipino-Chinese elite. The bourgeois press, however, has a new dimension in the sense that major media owners have extensive interlocking interests such as chains of malls, hotels, real estate, food and beverages, construction, banking, and so on. Globalization has transformed the media industry into conduits or appendages of the so-called global media village of cable TV networks, cyberspace, Hollywood movie industry, giant advertising corporations, and sometimes even schools of mass communication. The bourgeois press promotes a culture of consumerism and commercialism, generally toe the government line, and shun investigative journalism or publicize issues of public concern. Consumerism has given rise to the tabloidization or sensationalism of the press including the TV news and public affairs.

The bourgeois theory of the press claims to represent balanced news, objectivity and neutrality. However, what it practices is the reverse of what it preaches. For instance, the press in the United States, from where the bourgeois or liberal theory of the press originates, is monopolized by financial oligarchs and mergers of the likes of CNN, Fox and other monopolies that are not necessarily the embodiment of fair and true reporting. The liberal press in the U.S. features elements of authoritarianism and censorship. The media monopolies promote not only decadent consumerism and obesity in the American society but also support wars of aggression, the trading of weapons of mass destruction and economic globalization that has only resulted in the destruction of Third World economies as well as in global unemployment, poverty and massive outmigration of skills.

It is even worse in the Philippines. Owners of media corporations pay lip service to freedom of the press and balanced news when in fact what the Filipino media consumer receives are stories slanted in favor of government or stories that glorify consumerism, of mediocre actors and showbiz personalities so that people will patronize their products and services. There is hardly any news about agrarian reform, human rights, urban poor, the indigenous peoples, the threats of campus militarization or suppression of the campus press, or about the social, economic and political roots of the armed conflict. In other words, the bourgeois press does not mirror the harsh realities of Philippine society.

Right within their own media enterprises, owners and publishers violate the rights of their own employees by preventing the formation of unions and imposing self-censorship among their rank-and-file journalists. How many of them have lent any support to the families of over a hundred of journalists who have been killed since the Marcos years – 50 of them under Arroyo alone – by suspected police officers, hired goons and corrupt politicians? How many of them have protested against the enactment of the Human Security Act of 2007 which essentially violates the people's bill of rights and civil liberties, including the freedom of the press and free expression?

[Animo]

On the other hand, the alternative or progressive theory has a rich revolutionary, radical and critical tradition that dates back to the reformist and revolutionary propaganda movements in the 19 th century struggle against Spanish colonial rule and, in the first part of the 20th century, in the armed resistance against U.S. imperialism and Japanese fascist occupation and, thereafter, in the radical and underground press of the 1970s and until today. Indeed, according to Luis V. Teodoro, former editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian and former dean of University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication, the Filipino press was born during the reformist and revolutionary movements, first with Marcelo H. Del Pilar's Diariong Tagalog (Tagalog Newspaper) and later with La Solidaridad (Solidarity), Ang Kalayaan (Freedom), La Independencia (The Independence), El Renacimiento (The Renaissance) and the guerilla and underground press of the Japanese and martial law periods. "The Filipino press was an alternative first to the Spanish colonial press, then to the pro-American press that the U.S. colonial government encouraged, the Japanese controlled press, and the government-regulated press of the martial law period," Teodoro writes. (Teodoro, "Philippine Media: Two streams, one tradition," Bulatlat Online Magazine, August 5-11, 2001)

The progressive press therefore has a rich legacy of resisting foreign domination and fighting for independence, opposing fascist dictatorial rule and continuing attempts at reinstituting an authoritarian regime. Illustrative of this in the contemporary period of the Philippine press is during the martial law regime when writers, journalists and artists put up underground revolutionary newspapers and operated what was described as "xerox journalism" as part of the struggle against the dictatorship. They were soon to be joined by what was to become the alternative press, including the Signs of the Times which became the Philippine News and Features, the Media Mindanao News Service, the Cordillera News and Features, Cobra-Ans as well as other anti-Marcos newspapers like Malaya and the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

On the other hand, the campus press represented by such school organs as the Philippine Collegian, braved the militarization of their campuses by rallying the youth and students for the anti-dictatorship struggle even as they fought for the restoration of student councils and the reopening of school newspapers that were silenced by martial law.

These alternative and radical publications defied the repressive measures of the regime and played a key role in the events that led to the ouster of Marcos during EDSA I in 1986.

The alternative and advocacy press today can be seen in the proliferation of small publications in some parts of the country that were put up by people's organizations, party-list groups and a number of non-profit institutions. Despite a limitation in resources, the alternative press has flourished over the past 20 years with the opening of alternative radio programs and online publications such as Davao Today, Bulatlat, Mindanao Press, and newspapers like Pinoy Weekly. Campus newspapers that classify themselves as progressive or militant also belong to the alternative press.

In contrast to the bourgeois theory, the alternative press sustains the tradition began by the revolutionary press during the period of colonialism by publishing critical and investigative reports on poverty, social injustice, political repression and human rights violations, and other sectoral and multisectoral issues. Moreover, the alternative press is born out of a society that is torn by social conflicts between the rich and poor, between those struggling for change and a few small elite resisting social transformation in all its aspects. The alternative press is alternative because it reports on issues and people who have been consistently ignored, nay, rejected by the bourgeois press and articulates the sentiments and aspirations of the poor; it is radical because it commits itself to social change and social responsibility. In a sense, it continues the revolutionary tradition of the Filipino press by its constant search and struggle for change and for siding with the voiceless and powerless majority.

Because it advocates the theory of social change and is committed to exposing the truth, the alternative press is often the victim of political repression. Too many journalists have sacrificed their lives or have become martyrs because of their patriotism, resistance to foreign domination as well as for fighting for truth, freedom and justice. Among them are Marcelo H. del Pilar, Emilio Jacinto, Isabelo delos Reyes, Amado V. Hernandez and, in more recent times, Antonio Tagamolila, Emmanuel Lacaba, Henry Romero, Abraham Sarmiento III, Enrique Voltaire Garcia, Armando Malay, Antonio Zumel, Beng Hernandez and countless others who gave up their lives or who continue to hold the torch of the advocacy press. (Incidentally, it would be good for CEGP to publish a book or CD compiling selected writings of these martyrs as a contribution toward continuing and practicing this rich legacy of the progressive and revolutionary press.)

Let us emulate the heroism shown by these martyrs and eminent persons of the Philippine press. Let us continue to read and learn from the works and biographies of these martyrs. Above all, let us continue and develop further the alternative press – which some journalists actually call the real mainstream press – and continue to fight for press freedom in the light of what is happening to our country today. Let us continue to stand for a committed press and use it responsibly as a catalyst for social change.

Bulatlat
http://www.bulatlat.com/news/7-10/7-10-journ.htm

[Animo]

BY LUIS V. TEODORO
Bulatlat.com

(Bulatlat.com decided to publish this piece in commemoration of the Press Freedom month. Luis Teodoro is the associate director of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, editor of the Philippine Journalism Review, and former dean of the College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines-Diliman.)

The progressive role of the mass media was most visibly obvious in the political crisis which began in November last year and began to abate only after the elections of May 2001. In the crisis investigative reports played a crucial part in documenting the corruption and inefficiency that had taken residence in the highest offices of the land. Indeed those reports formed part of the documentation of the impeachment articles subsequently submitted to the Senate.

Before that crisis erupted, however, a community of journalists united by their concern both for the state of journalism as well as for the present and future of this country was already focused on such issues as the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Manila Times Libel suit and the Inquirer ad boycott, and later, the Mindanao conflict, as well as those issues of national import but which were most crucially felt at the local level such as agrarian reform, and community issues like local despotism and others.

This community of journalists is a national community which includes not only Manila-based journalists, but also those in the cities and towns in the provinces. They are not formally organized nationally, their concern for both the profession as well as the country being their common bond. They include the most visible practitioners in the broadsheets as well as those in the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, and correspondents and community journalists in all the three island groups, some of whom have organized themselves at the local level in an effort to improve journalism practice as well as contribute to the transformation of Philippine politics.

One group of Mindanao journalists, for example, conducted a voter education program in the last elections between sessions on how to improve their coverage of their communities. Some twenty or so beat reporters in Manila newspapers have also organized themselves into a group they call Journalists Anonymous, in an effort to address urgent professional and ethical problems in their respective beats. In the Visayas, there are similar groups. They share a common concern for both the future of journalism as well as that of this country and are in communication with each other.

These groups’ organizing themselves, as yet at the local level, only formalizes already existing, though loose formations. During previous government administrations the national community of journalists I am referring to, whose main attributes we can describe as being progressive, professional and critical, had been as engaged in the monitoring of governance, reporting on a broad range of concerns from human rights, workers’ issues, and the environment – to women, children’s rights, education and other social issues. In both the Ramos and Aquino governments, these concerns were evident, which is to say that the critical and progressive stream of the Philippine press has never been focused solely on Mr. Estrada, as certain of its critics often tend to suggest.

The same stream was as active during the martial law period – when, however, it was mostly underground, and at best semi-legal because of government repression. In newspapers which ranged in variety from Signs of the Times to Liberation, progressive journalists tried to provide, at great danger to themselves, their families, their fortunes and their liberties, the information the regulated press was concealing from the Filipino people.

In the latter days of the martial law regime, this tradition confronted the government through open engagement in newspapers which described themselves as “the alternative press.” Although the use of that phrase tended to be limited to the description of such newspapers as the Martial law period Malaya and the Inquirer, the alternative press at that time actually included all those newspaper, whether underground or above, semi-legal or illegal, which were engaged in providing the Filipino people the information that was being denied them by the government regulated media, in which most of the practitioners dutifully did as they were told by their publishers and the Marcos government.

More importantly, however, when we speak of the alternative press we are also speaking of the progressive tradition, a press whose history goes back more than a hundred years, because the alternative press and the progressive and critical are one and the same.

If during the martial law period there were two streams in the Philippine mass media, the alternative on the one hand and on the other the subservient and government controlled, a today the same streams still exist, though they are now more commonly described as the critical and/or progressive on the one hand, and the conservative, or evasive, or even reactionary on the other.

Most of us assume that the latter is the mainstream. But that it true only in the sense that it is the dominant stream during periods of relative stability. On the contrary, the distinction of being the mainstream tradition belongs to the progressive or alternative stream, the history of which parallels that of the history of the Filipino struggle for independence, justice, and social change.

Indeed, the Filipino press was born during the reformist and revolutionary movements, first with Marcelo H. Del Pilar’s Diariong Tagalog, and later with La Solidaridad, Ang Kalayaan, La Independencia, El Renacimiento, and the guerilla and underground press of the Japanese and martial law periods. The Filipino press was an alternative first to the Spanish colonial press, then to the pro-American press and the US colonial government encouraged, the Japanese controlled press, and the government regulated press of the martial law period.

Today that stream exists primarily as the alternative to the regressive journalism represented by the corrupt journalists whose meager talents are for sale to political and other interests, and whoa re in residence in newspapers whose main concern is to distort and even conceal information for the sake of the political and economic groups they represent.

To be fair, however, even in those newspapers, as in the government controlled newspapers of the martial law period, there are practitioners as concerned with doing justice to the professional demand to provide reports that are accurate and reliable, as well as relevant and complete. We saw some of this heartening fact at the height of the political crisis, when even in some of the crony newspapers the professional commitment to honest and fair reporting on the part of some practitioners could not be suppressed.

The progressive and critical tradition lives, and it lives even in places some of us would probably regard as unlikely hosts for independent practice, among them television reports aired over one TV network met only with partial success, because practically all the reporters and producers resisted censorship and engaged newsroom decision makers in a daily effort – a veritable guerilla war – to air the news that their professional standards demanded should reach the public.

Indeed, the adjective progressive, aside from being another term for alternative, is at times also only another word for professional. The experience of the journalism community in the decades from the marital law period to the present has in fact demonstrated that to live up to the professional demands of the profession – to be honest as well as persevering, to report what is happening and to comment on it as fairly and as intelligently as possible – is at the same time to be in the forefront of the common struggle being wages by the majority sectors of Philippine society for honest and patriotic governance, for authentic independence, for social change.

Like those who came before him or her, among them Marcelo H. del Pilar, Emilio Jacinto, Isabelo delos Reyes, Teodoro M. Kalaw, and in more recent times, Armando Malay, Eugenia Apostol, Antonio Zumel and Satur Ocampo, the progressive journalist is a professional because committed to the basic ethical and professional value of truth-telling.

The Filipino press tradition is by definition progressive, having been born in the period of resistance to Spanish colonial rule and nurtured by the Revolution, by the demand for independence during the American conquest, and the need for accurate, relevant information during the Japanese occupation and the martial law period.

The same responsibility in fact drives that tradition today. Only during those periods of relative stability, such as the decades following the defeat of the Revolution until the Japanese occupation, as well as that period from 1946 to 1972, and from 1986 to the present, has the conservative tradition been dominant. But during periods of upheaval, first during the reformist and revolutionary period which gave it birth, the early years of American occupation, the Japanese conquest, and the martial law period – the progressive tradition has always been there to provide the people with the information they need to understand what was happening and to help arm them with the consciousness that has enabled them to defeat tyrants whether homegrown or foreign. Bulatlat.com

http://www.bulatlat.com/archive/025teodoro.html

[Nabartek]

Philippine press, I noticed, is too assuming.

Just like in reporting th surveys. They would make it as if the whole population was interviewed.

I don't know, it's not that I'm against freedom of speech but people ought to be liable for what they say. The prblem in the Philippines IS, when people will be made held liable they'll decry that it is .

Ewan ko, nasobrahan ata sa Democracy ang Pilipinas.

Sa acronyms pa lang, nagkakamali na ang print and TV media. Simple facts pa nga lang, di nila maituwid(like calling the CAR as an AUTONOMOUS Region kahit ADMINISTRATIVE lang ito...ilang beses na ito... hay) what more with bigger issues?

[smokingunmanila]

^^ to be fair... direct to the point na ang salitang orgy. kasi pag sinabi mong kahalayan, anong klaseng kahalayan?

In my own opinion ...is that thing worth in our news? siguro naman hindi lang dun may orgy...marami.....ngayon....nagkakaron pa ng idea ang mga bata na gawin ganun ang boarding house...talagang mga news na walang saysay....sensationalize talaga...sinasadya para maging bobo ang masa...mahiya hiya nga ang mga news media....

[Sinjin P.]

‘Humbled’ Mike Arroyo withdraws all libel suits (http://businessmirror.com.ph/0504&052007/headlines08.html)

CALLING it a “gesture of peace” and in apparent celebration of his new lease on life, President Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, on Thursday ordered his lawyers to withdraw all his pending libel suits against mostly media personalities.

In statement that Mr. Arroyo asked Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye to deliver to the media, Mr. Arroyo said that he was “humbled” by the “overwhelming kindness” shown by those who kept watch over him in the days after his high-risk heart surgery, as well as the “compassion of even some of my harshest critics.”

He explained that “seeking redress for all the grievances that the libel suits sought to address now pales in comparison to taking on a genuine chance to make peace and to pursue a more positive and constructive relationship with those who will accept my offer of a handshake.

“I am determixned to keep in touch with God that has been magnanimous to me, and to let His spirit of generosity steer me through any future conflicts,” he said.

Mr. Arroyo had a 10-hour aneurysmectomy that repaired a leak in his aorta and a triple bypass on April 9, which doctors termed as “risky” because of possible complications to vital organs, but he had a speedy recovery which his physicians described as “nothing short of a miracle.”

He has filed 11 libel suits involving 46 media people, which media groups and watchdogs criticized as an attack on press freedom at home and abroad, and triggered the filing of a class suit against him by some of the people he had charged with libel.

Some of the subjects of Mr. Arroyo’s libel suits were generally disappointed with the move, among them Malaya publisher Jake Macasaet, chairman of the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), who maintained that the stories which Mr. Arroyo claimed to be libelous “were true and accurate and for commentaries which we believe were fair and involved issues which were of public interest.”

He said that if the cases went to court, two issues would be resolved on their merits: whether the stories maligned him as he claimed, and “his claim that even as he is the husband of the President, he is a private person whose actions are not open to public scrutiny.”

[kiretoce]

RP improves to 128th in RSF press freedom index (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/64744/Improvement-RP-is-128th-in-press-freedom-index)

The Philippines scored an “unexpected improvement" in a press freedom index compiled by international media watchdog group Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres or RSF).

But the Philippines remained at the bottom half of the RSF press freedom index, ranking 128th out of 169 countries included in the listing.

“(The) Philippines (128th) had fewer murders than in previous years. And President Gloria Arroyo’s associates brought fewer defamation actions against journalists and news media," RSF said on its website (www.rsf.org).

Earlier this year, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo withdrew libel suits against several Philippine journalists after undergoing heart surgery last April.

RSF pointed out its ranking was based on events between Sept. 1 last year and Sept. 1 this year.

In the index, the Philippines got a score of 44.75. Burma, which recently cracked down on dissidents, ranked 164th (93.75), followed by Cuba (96.17), Iran (96.50), Turkmenistan (103.75), North Korea (108.75) and Eritrea (114.75).

“We are particularly disturbed by the situation in Burma (164th). The military junta’s crackdown on demonstrations bodes ill for the future of basic freedoms in this country. Journalists continue to work under the yoke of harsh censorship from which nothing escapes, not even small ads. We also regret that China (163rd) stagnates near the bottom of the index. With less than a year to go to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the reforms and the releases of imprisoned journalists so often promised by the authorities seem to be a vain hope," RSF said.

Topping the survey were Iceland (0.75), Norway (0.75), Estonia (1.00), Slovakia (1.00), and Belgium (1.50).

RSF said that aside from the Philippines, Cambodia (85th) climbed a few rungs thanks to the government’s decision to decriminalize press offenses.

“No journalist was imprisoned. But some journalists were targeted by death threats, especially when they covered corruption," it said of the situation in Cambodia.

On the other hand, the RSF said bloggers are now threatened as much as journalists in traditional media.

In Malaysia (124th), Thailand (135th), Vietnam (162nd) and Egypt (146th), for example, bloggers were arrested and news websites were closed or made inaccessible.

“We are concerned about the increase in cases of online censorship... More and more governments have realised that the Internet can play a key role in the fight for democracy and they are establishing new methods of censoring it. The governments of repressive countries are now targeting bloggers and online journalists as forcefully as journalists in the traditional media," RSF said.

At least 64 persons are currently imprisoned worldwide because of what they posted on the Internet. China maintains its leadership in this form of repression, with a total of 50 cyber-dissidents in prison. Eight are being held in Vietnam.

Kareem Amer was sentenced to four years in prison in Egypt for blog posts criticizing the president and Islamist control of the country’s universities.

The RSF also noted the G8 members have recovered a few places. France (31st) climbed six places in the past year.

“French journalists were spared the violence that affected them at the end of 2005 in a labor conflict in Corsica and during the demonstrations in the city suburbs. But many concerns remain about repeated censorship, searches of news organizations, and a lack of guarantees for the confidentiality of journalists’ sources," it said.

It also noted slightly fewer press freedom violations in the United States (48th) and blogger Josh Wolf was freed after 224 days in prison.

But the detention of Al-Jazeera’s Sudanese cameraman, Sami Al-Haj, since June 13, 2002 at the military base of Guantanamo and the murder of Chauncey Bailey in Oakland in August mean the United States is still unable to join the lead group, it said.

Italy (35th) has also stopped its fall, even if journalists continue to be under threat from mafia groups that prevent them from working in complete safety.

Japan (37th) has seen a letup in attacks on the press by militant nationalists, and this has allowed it to recover 14 places.

“These developments are good news ... Perhaps the repeated calls to these democracies to behave in an exemplary manner has finally borne fruit. But we must remain careful and vigilant. Nothing can be taken for granted and we hope this trend will continue or even accentuate near year. We regret all the same that only two G8 members, Canada (18th) and Germany (20th), managed to be among the top 20," RSF said.

It said Russia (144th) is not progressing as Anna Politkovskaya’s murder in October 2006, the failure to punish those responsible for murdering journalists, and the still glaring lack of diversity in the media, especially the broadcast media, weighed heavily in the evaluation of press freedom in Russia.

Some non-European countries have made their first appearance in the top 50. They are Mauritania (50th), which has climbed 88 places since 2004, Uruguay (37th) and Nicaragua (47th).

“We hope these improvements will be lasting ones," Reporters Without Borders said. “Bolivia (68th) rose dramatically last year, but that improvement unfortunately seems to have been purely circumstantial as it has fallen many places this year because of serious press freedom violations."

[WawaY[625]]

Philippine press, I noticed, is too assuming.

Just like in reporting th surveys. They would make it as if the whole population was interviewed.

I don't know, it's not that I'm against freedom of speech but people ought to be liable for what they say. The prblem in the Philippines IS, when people will be made held liable they'll decry that it is .

Ewan ko, nasobrahan ata sa Democracy ang Pilipinas.

Sa acronyms pa lang, nagkakamali na ang print and TV media. Simple facts pa nga lang, di nila maituwid(like calling the CAR as an AUTONOMOUS Region kahit ADMINISTRATIVE lang ito...ilang beses na ito... hay) what more with bigger issues?

true true

sobrang press freedom..and sobrang powers nila madali lang nilang ma screw ang facts kung gugustuhin nila

i remember kwento ng GF ko tumawag ang ABS-CBN davao sa DPWH regarding the delayed bridge..tapos talak ng talak yung si stephen manangan, di man lang pinag explain yung DPWH regional director..tapos nung magsasalita na ang regional director sabi ni stephen "im soryy director pero i cu cut off na kita kasi wala nang oras"

well, as expected..most media men are gago and mayabang anyway :P lol

so nung bumalik ang ABS CBN sa DPWH di na pinapasok (asus ano naman kaya ang ipapalabas ng ABS nyan, blech..nakakasuka talaga mga ACDC pa naman)

yung barkada ko rin nag work dati as reporter ng GMA, that was regarding a controversy sa DIA, tapos inabutan sya ng suhol..di nya tinaggap and i file na sana nya ang report..pagdating nya sa office ayun naunahan sya ng suhol lol di na tinaggap yung report nya kasi "ok na daw" :lol:

my case naman, yang sa bandila..nung may operation sa basilan ata (this year lang) tapos part ng headline is "metro manila under alert kasi baka madamay sa bakbakan sa mindanao" WTF? so i emailed them na sabi ko (well ito na lang ang gist ng email) "you are doing as much damage to mindanao and mindanaoans as the terrorists do dahil sa inyong careless depiction of mindanao as a war torn area"

and dont get me started with these super yabang na tulfo idiots

ohh well philippine media...kaya nga minsan naiintindihan ko bakit may mga pinapatay na journalist

[beads_strawberries]

Actually, the media we have right now is endowed with so much freedom to the point that they can abuse it if they want to. Then claim afterwards that there is suppression of press freedom whenever they want to. See, there's so much discretion on the part of our journalists and they are on the verge of always abusing this discretion.

More so, the media is so into negative news because they can always attack people. Their news will be selling like hotcakes, even if they are not substantiated with concrete evidence.

[Maxxclip]

watch National Geographic & Disney Channel:)

[wheel of steel]

Actually, the media we have right now is endowed with so much freedom to the point that they can abuse it if they want to. Then claim afterwards that there is suppression of press freedom whenever they want to. See, there's so much discretion on the part of our journalists and they are on the verge of always abusing this discretion.

More so, the media is so into negative news because they can always attack people. Their news will be selling like hotcakes, even if they are not substantiated with concrete evidence.

^^ Media wants chaos among us by giving a very very negative information to the public. The chaotic picture they are pursuing inturn generates revenues for them. If one person aggravates by the other because of former press release, the other one on the other hand would also ask for a press release bilang ganti. Of course trying to hold a press conference means money. Money nowadays speaks louder than boys, I mean voice.

More chaos, more money but but, the people got used of it already.. Not only Pinoys but our forein investors also. he he he.. See the effect, the continous growth of economy does not affected by this negative informations... ha ha ha....

[Maxxclip]

^^the Philippines is now immune:banana: Cheers to that:cheers1:

[Maxxclip]

i think this is the time for our government to amend some provisions regarding press freedom.

[icarusrising]

Let's try to compare today's headlines... It would be inconclusive to say that a newspaper is sensationalizing by just doing a quick look at today's banner stories. However, it would give you a feel which ones are critical and which ones are well... kind of "out of touch" with reality. It would be helpful to read the contents as well to see how they angle the story by playing up or downplaying some aspects of the news.

From the Philippine Star...www.philstar.com
CBCP: RP politics morally bankrupt

From The Philippine Daily Inquirer...http://www.inquirer.com.ph/
CBCP tells execs: Admit Palace gift

From the Manila Bulletin...http://www.mb.com.ph/
Senate marks 91st year

From the Manila Times...http://www.manilatimes.net/
JdV: End govt corruption

From Business Mirror...http://www.businessmirror.com.ph
Cheap drugs, customs bills up

From the Manila Standard Today...http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=index
Senate favors change in Charter after 2010

[Thunderflip]

Philippine press, I noticed, is too assuming.

Just like in reporting th surveys. They would make it as if the whole population was interviewed.

I don't know, it's not that I'm against freedom of speech but people ought to be liable for what they say. The prblem in the Philippines IS, when people will be made held liable they'll decry that it is .

Ewan ko, nasobrahan ata sa Democracy ang Pilipinas.



So, do you think we would need to adopt 'social democracy'? Or a centralized democracy?

Democracy is formed by a state based on public opinion. And as we all know, freedom always has to come with great responsibility. People should be sensual and responsible with what they say and do. This would require a lot of social maturity from the people. Although I stand for liberalism, I do agree that democracy here is too much. Maybe we are not ready for it or maybe it would take a lot of time for us to mature. Let's see.

[heathcliff]

I think media irresponsibility is largely responsible for the cynicism of our people about our country. When government officials are accused of corruption, the media is only too eager to suggest that such accusations are already facts. Winnie Monsod in her article "The media and the lynch-mob mentality" says it all.

There may be no such animal as objective journalism, but there is such a thing as objective reporting. When you are supposed to be reporting facts, then you should report just the facts and not inject your own speculations or conclusions into the report. Also, give adequate airing to both sides of the coin and not just one side.

[icarusrising]

^^ Kaso, it seems the Pinoy wants his news mediated. Kahit sa big networks, pag nagdedeliver ng news merong portion tulad halimbawa ng "pulso ng TV Patrol" where they inject their personal opinions.

The common tao listening to all those AM commentaries would think it's news they are ramming down their ears.

Media education should be taught as a basic subject in schools too.

[Rence]

I think media irresponsibility is largely responsible for the cynicism of our people about our country. When government officials are accused of corruption, the media is only too eager to suggest that such accusations are already facts. Winnie Monsod in her article "The media and the lynch-mob mentality" says it all.

There may be no such animal as objective journalism, but there is such a thing as objective reporting. When you are supposed to be reporting facts, then you should report just the facts and not inject your own speculations or conclusions into the report. Also, give adequate airing to both sides of the coin and not just one side.


:ohno:Minsan spokeperson sila ! Tapos kailangan hinay-hinay sa pag-atake sa mga tao na government officials para hindi ka ma-slavage o makitang palutang -lutang sa Pasig River!

[Animo]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/images/news/newspics/11-02-2007/mural-neo-angono.jpg

By DAVID DIZON
abs-cbnNEWS.com

A mural on the history of press freedom in the Philippines commissioned by one of the country's oldest press organizations is creating controversy after several portions of the final artwork was altered without the artists' consent before its unveiling last week.

The Neo-Angono Artists Collective said the National Press Club made "slipshod alterations" on the 8x32 foot oil on canvas artwork several days before it was unveiled before President Arroyo on October 26.

NPC defended the move, saying that none of the alterations were permanent. It added that Neo-Angono members failed to appear before the NPC to do the final alterations as stipulated in the contract for the mural.

Richard Gappi, president of the Neo-Angono Artists Collective, said his group is disappointed with the way the NPC treated the commissioned mural.

"The mural was bastardized and changed without our consent. This is not something that was just bought and we are not just a supplier. We should be treated as equals. It’s about press freedom. It’s about artistic expression," Gappi told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

Gappi said NPC project director Joel Egco approached his group three months ago to create the historic mural in time for the press group's 55th founding anniversary.

Egco, who also studied in Angono, Rizal - which is the artistic capital of the Philippines - said he approached Neo-Angono because he was impressed with the group's work. He said the group agreed to do the mural for P900,000, which was a third of the price suggested by another group who also wanted to do the mural.

Gappi said the group formed three teams to do research, draw and do the final painting of the historic mural. He said the group agreed that the mural should show the history of press freedom in the country -- from the Philippine Propaganda Movement under Spanish rule all the way to the murders of journalists in modern times -- as viewed through a postmodernist lens.

"The collective decision was to show a man on the street as he is affected by changes in the press. I believe that the issue of press freedom is not just the responsibility of writers and journalists but the common man," he said.

The final mural, which was submitted to NPC on October 24, shows a man reading the latest news on journalists' killings while press freedom icons from the past and present converge around him. In one scene, Marcelo H. del Pilar is seen with fellow editor Mariano Ponce while rooting for cigarette butts in a garbage can under the streetsign La Solidaridad. Near the two, Filipino revolutionary Emilio Jacinto sells copies of the newspaper "Ningning o Liwanag" whose headlines proclaim the declaration of martial law while an incensed Eggie Apostol walks past. Perhaps the most arresting image is that of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. talking to National Hero Jose Rizal while the latter reads a newspaper article on the disappearance of Jonas Burgos, son of press freedom icon Joe Burgos.

Bastardized

This last image is one of many in the mural altered by the NPC without the consent of Neo-Angono artists.

Gappi said the headline of the newspaper Rizal is holding is changed from "Press Freedom Fighter’s Son Abducted" to "Press Freedom Fight Is On." He said Jonas's name is erased from the artwork while the pictures of Jonas and his mother, Edith Burgos, are defaced. Even the name of the paper is changed from "The Philippines Today" to "NPC DIGEST."

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/images/news/newspics/11-02-2007/mural1.jpg

Before

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/images/news/newspics/11-02-2007/mural1.jpg

After

Gappi said other portions of the mural were drastically altered by the NPC. He said in the central figure of the man reading the newspaper, the statement of the International Federation of Journalists regarding the perceived effects of the anti-terror law on press freedom inside the paper is replaced by a "hideous bird-monster in a cage."

View more of it here (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=97890).

[Louman]

^^

Right below the street sign on the corner of Mendiola and Bagumbayan, there's a guy holding a box. On his arm/deltoid used to be an alibata K symbol tattooed on it. It was changed into a heart with an arrow through it because the Alibata K was seen as a "leftist" symbol. Reading and seeing that made me want to barf.

[gen1]

ang alibata "K" ay naging simbolo ng katipunan.

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/6797/flag1tm3.gif (http://imageshack.us)

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6826/flag2bl3.gif (http://imageshack.us)

Ang modelo ng mamang nagtitinda ng yosi na may tatoong alibata "K" ay si bonifacio. masdan mong mabuti at para siyang naka-pose ng "cry of pugad lawin" na parang may hawak ng tabak

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/2701/bonifacioew5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Wala tayong magagawa, threat to the safety kasi ni GMA ang dibuhong ito :ohno:

:nuts:

[heathcliff]

The mural should not have been altered without the artists' consent. On the other hand, the occasion of the National Press Club's anniversary should not be used by the artists as an opportunity to advance their personal agenda and to use the mural as a leftist propaganda. Wala naman kasi sa lugar ang pagpalaganap nila ng anti-government propaganda. Freedom comes with responsibility, which is sorely lacking in what these artists did.

IMO the mural should have been rejected altogether, instead of being altered without the artists' consent.

[nostalgicbabe]

I watched The Correspondents last night regarding media sensationalism and irresponsibility that has characterized most of the reports about the death of Mariannet Amper, a 12-year old girl from Davao. I must say, the documentary was well-presented, balanced and probably the least biased of anything ABS-CBN has shown in quite a while.

It will be remembered that the initial reports about the child's suicide speculated on poverty as the reason why she killed herself. Without considering other factors that may have led her to commit suicide, without even verifying if the strangling was indeed self-inflicted, the media had zeroed in on entries in the girl's diary that she and her brother had been absent from school for a while--and the media frenzy began.

Mariannet's family objected to the media's depiction of them as practically starving. Such was not the case, according to the girl's father. "Sampu ang sinabi namin dito, kinse na ang pinalabas sa babasahin", ayon sa ama. While the family was poor, they were far from being the "patay gutom" that the media has portrayed them.

Subsequently, Davao Mayor Duterte ordered the exhumation and autopsy of the child's body. It was discovered that she had vaginal lacerations. The girl had been raped.

The media sensationalism that has capitalized on the poverty angle was clearly a breach of journalistic ethics. But more than that, it has posed a risk to susceptible children and adolescents in its audience. Research studies have connected "suicide contagion", or a significant increase in suicide attempts, with prominent media stories about suicide or people who commit suicide. In fact, there are a set of guidelines that have been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Association of Suicidology when reporting about suicide. These were mentioned in the documentary, and I will cite them below. I have included the explanations from this link (http://www.211bigbend.org/hotlines/suicide/media.htm) for better comprehension.

In general, research shows that the following types of news reports have an effect of increasing suicidal behavior:

* Simplifying the reasons for the suicide.
Suicide is never the result of a single factor or event, but rather results from a complex interaction of many factors and usually involves a history of psychosocial problems. Public officials and the media should carefully explain that the final precipitating event was not the only cause of a given suicide. Most persons who have committed suicide have had a history of problems that may not have been acknowledged during the acute aftermath of the suicide. Cataloguing the problems that could have played a causative role in a suicide is not necessary, but acknowledgment of these problems is recommended.

* Engaging in repetitive, ongoing, or excessive reporting of suicide in the news. Repetitive and ongoing coverage, or prominent coverage, of a suicide tends to promote and maintain a preoccupation with suicide among at-risk persons, especially among persons 15-24 years of age. This preoccupation appears to be associated with suicide contagion. Information presented to the media should include the association between such coverage and the potential for suicide contagion. Public officials and media representatives should discuss alternative approaches for coverage of newsworthy suicide stories.

* Providing sensational coverage of suicide. By its nature, news coverage of a suicidal event tends to heighten the general public's preoccupation with suicide. This reaction is also believed to be associated with contagion and the development of suicide clusters. Public officials can help minimize sensationalism by limiting, as much as possible, morbid details in their public discussions of suicide. News media professionals should attempt to decrease the prominence of the news report and avoid the use of dramatic photographs related to the suicide (e.g., photographs of the funeral, the deceased person's bedroom, and the site of the suicide).

* Reporting "how-to" description of suicide. Describing technical details about the method of suicide is undesirable. For example, reporting that a person died from carbon monoxide poisoning may not be harmful; however, providing details of the mechanism and procedures used to complete the suicide may facilitate imitation of the suicidal behavior by other at-risk persons.

* Presenting suicide as a tool for accomplishing certain ends. Suicide is usually a rare act of a troubled or depressed person. Presentation of suicide as a means of coping with personal problems (e.g., the breakup of a relationship or retaliation against parental discipline) may suggest suicide as a potential coping mechanism to at-risk persons. Although such factors often seem to trigger a suicidal act, other psychopathological problems are almost always involved. If suicide is presented as an effective means for accomplishing specific ends, it may be perceived by a potentially suicidal person as an attractive solution.

* Glorifying suicide or persons who commit suicide. News coverage is less likely to contribute to suicide contagion when reports of community expressions of grief (e.g., public eulogies, flying flags at half-mast, and erecting permanent public memorials) are minimized. Such actions may contribute to suicide contagion by suggesting to susceptible persons that society is honoring the suicidal behavior of the deceased person, rather than mourning the person's death.

* Focusing on the suicide completer’s positive characteristics. Empathy for family and friends often leads to a focus on reporting the positive aspects of a suicide completer's life. For example, friends or teachers may be quoted as saying the deceased person "was a great kid" or "had a bright future," and they avoid mentioning the troubles and problems that the deceased person experienced. As a result, statements venerating the deceased person are often reported in the news. However, if the suicide completer's problems are not acknowledged in the presence of these laudatory statements, suicidal behavior may appear attractive to other at-risk persons -- especially those who rarely receive positive reinforcement for desirable behaviors.

In addition to these guidelines, The American Association of Suicidology recommends that media reports about suicide include potential warning signs, as well as information on community resources (such as Helpline 2-1-1) for those who may be suicidal or who know people who are.

The media should be more aware of its responsibility, not only in regard to the accuracy of its reports, but more importantly, to the impact of its presentation of information on its audience. It must be aware of the varying degrees of discernment of its audience, which include impressionable children, adolescents and young adults; and of the very real danger to people's lives that could be caused by media stepping beyond the bounds of responsible journalism.

[dancethingy]

^^ HA! I've been saying it ever since i joined SSC, something is very wrong with Philippine journalism. The irresponsibility in which it conveys "news" to the public has created a huge pool of misinformed individuals throughout the country. Their news is often skewed, inaccurate, or sensationalized. If there is any publication anyone here should watch out for it is

THE PHILIPPINE INQUIRER

This publication embodies all that is wrong with the media today

[Louman]

Most of Philippine media = Fox News. You should know it by now.

[dancethingy]

OMG, just as this thread was created, we get a classic example of media sensationalism!!!!!!!!!!!!


Everybody pay attention to ANC, ABS-CBN, and Philippine Inquirer and how they cover the trillanes/lim walk out!

Classic media bullshit sensationalism!

[Raven83]

OMG, just as this thread was created, we get a classic example of media sensationalism!!!!!!!!!!!!


Everybody pay attention to ANC, ABS-CBN, and Philippine Inquirer and how they cover the trillanes/lim walk out!

Classic media bullshit sensationalism!

Naah I just ignore them after hearing another of these BS:bash: I poped in a DVD of Skins first season:lol:

[dancethingy]

^^ :)

[zeejay]

^^ I agree, the current situation is one that has been reported by the media in an over-hyped manner. Look at what they are doing now. ANC said they won't do anything to compromise the negotiations or the service of the warrants of arrest to Trillanes and his colleagues right there at Manila Penn. But look what's on your screens. Covered na covered yung SWAT team. Trillanes and his friends there are watching the news and are observing what's going on outside. If something happens, the media is partly responsible for the unsuccessful carrying out of the arrest. Isa pa, napakahilig ng ABS-CBN magdagdag ng kwento.

On Mariannet Amper's suicide, The Correspondents said that they the media had their own faults in the delivery of the news to the people.

[Wind Shear]

Suicides seldom happen in Philippines. So poverty is no excuse of taking suicide (Heh! Even the people near the dumpsite has to do the dirty work (literally) for living).

That's why the report is... B.S.

[OtAkAw]

^^Yeah! Aren't we one of the happiest people on Earth?

[Lili]

Usually, the poor people rarely commit suicide because the survival instinct takes over. It is the lovelorn or those with low self-esteem or with failed expectations that commit suicide. That's just my opinion.

[kyle@1008]

I've been saying it from the start, I found it really annoying and particularly disturbing, that people kept on focusing on poverty and forgot all about suicide which is more of the issue...it was sad, that some so called activist hi jacked the issue for another cause...

[adverg]

Now the truth come-out. The caused of poverty to lead to that attempt is a very shallow reason at that age of maturity. As to what I gathered from this, this child has a well matured thinking and I think it is impossible for her to do that act since she has the matured mind to look the solution if the poverty is the real caused of her problem. Now the reason that trigger the child to commit suicide because of intensive psychological disturbance which is beyond the control of her matured thinking thats reason she give-up the hope. Since this incident of rape for women no matter what age she belong, is the most crucial nightmares of every women's life. If she has the power to escape from this trauma, no matter how she ignore it in the future, it is already a trademark in her life & will always remind as a threat to her future life. In relation to this child, since her matured mind already anticipate the anger, the negative sides that may bring this tragedy and hopeless in her future life,, emotions conquered her strong positive thinking that results to end her life. Very hard to experience this incidents....... to commit suicide

[gen1]

ahmmm . . . come again ? :)

[adverg]

Well...........

[zhock2001]

it always have to be survival of the fittest! this is basic instinct even of lower forms of animals...

japan has higher suicide rate!

the more you are exposed to the world, the more you should be able to adopt, that's if you do not regress... which means you are in a competitive state... these people who commit suicide because of poverty are simply unable to go beyond the realms of their comfort zone! poor people!

it's not really the poverty that's the culprit here, its the mental state of the victim...

[rage@cebu]

^^ definitely right!

[TJ]

The media hypes the poverty and the poor etc..
The gov't hypes the economic progress and lives getting better etc...
The only truth is to go see it and feel it yourself through the people and society around and beyond you.

[Sinjin P.]

Most of Philippine media = Fox News. You should know it by now.

0-4huKDmMYE

[flesh_is_weak]

most media personalities exist for one thing alone:

to make mountains out of mole-hills

how else would they feed their families if they don't?

[zhock2001]

just as i said, it's survival of the fittest... poverty is true! many of us do feel the pangs of poverty... i sometimes have nothing to eat!

the only way that media can get attention is to make every story bold!

that's their work, not necessarily to say nothing but the truth, but to say anything to get the loot! every piece of scarce politics, economics and showbusiness is a prey of these hungry predators...

suicide is coward... the ones who do this have no one to blame but their selves... the only obligation we have to others is summarized as "MORAL OBLIGATION" not financial and economic... for in this violent world, we are brothers in faith and everything else is a competition!

[WawaY[625]]

^^ therefore mediamen are cold blooded predators :D

[Sinjin P.]

^ Kinalbo si Trillanes? :hilarious

[WawaY[625]]

pa-kalbo naman talaga si mokong eh, receeding hairline na diba? unless magpa hair transplant sya (mukhang vain kasi eh..biruin mo sa sosyal na hotel umeepal)

[red_jasper]

No one should be jailed for libel, says Chief Justice

By Daxim Lucas
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080124-114561/No-one-should-be-jailed-for-libel-says-Chief-Justice)
First Posted 19:27:00 01/24/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Journalists may no longer be hauled off to jail when they are convicted by the courts of libel, Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno said Thursday.

The country's highest magistrate stressed, however, this should in no way be construed to mean that libel is no longer a crime.

In a chat with reporters on the sidelines of an annual meeting of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) on Thursday, Puno said he is set to release a new circular urging judges to forego imprisonment as a punishment for journalists convicted of libel.

"I will come out with a new circular within a day or two,” he said. “This will advise the judges that when the penalty imposed is imprisonment and/or a fine, then the judges should, in the exercise of their discretion, impose a fine and not imprisonment.”

The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines defines libel as a “malicious imputation of a crime, or of a vice or defect, or imaginary, or any act, omission, condition, status, or circumstance tending to cause the dishonor, discredit, or contempt of a natural or juridical person, or to blacken the memory of one who is dead.”

For an imputation to be libelous, the statement made, published or broadcast must be defamatory, malicious, must have been given publicity, and must have made the victim identifiable to the public.

According to Puno, the new circular -- which could be released as early as Friday -- “would be very valuable” to members of the media.

"If you review the cases on libel, you'll find out that a lot of times, the act is committed with honest intentions,” he said. “Therefore, a member of the media [who] commits this kind of an act, to our mind, need not be penalized by imprisonment.”

Instead, the payment of the fine “will already satisfy the intent of the law to punish the culprit,” the Chief Justice said. “There is an option given by the law.”

Puno described the new policy as an “interim measure” meant to aid the media while the proposal to “decriminalize” libel is still being debated by lawmakers.

"So when there is a conviction, the penalty should no longer be imprisonment but just the payment of a fine,” he said, quickly adding, however, that this relaxation will have to be ultimately determined by the judge handling the case.

"Of course, [this would be made] in the exercise of discretion of the judge, as dictated by the circumstances,” he said. “These are elastic circumstances and it would depend on how the offense was committed, especially the intent of the accused, whether or not the act was done with malice.”

He pointed out that libel remains a crime despite the Supreme Court's new circular and that that the task of decriminalizing libel rests with Congress.

"In fact, there are fears on decriminalizing libel,” Puno noted.

[odyssey]

Mr. Emil Jurado’s views on the Philippine Journalists’ petition with regards to the latter's role in the Nov. 29 Manila Pen Siege
Manila Standard Today: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=emilJurado_jan23_2008

I don’t know what those 11 from ABS-CBN are trying to prove. Their petition for a writ of amparo before the Supreme Court to prevent the police and the military from charging, prosecuting, effecting and threatening to make warrantless arrests on journalists makes them a special kind of people and violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution.

First of all, the basis for their petition against warrantless arrests, like that aftermath of the stupid Manila caper and standoff of Senator Antonio Trillanes and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, no longer holds. Those arrested, bound with plastic handcuffs and debriefed were soon released. So what is the need for a writ of amparo against the police and government law enforcers?

What bothers me as a media practitioner is that there seems to be a perception among some of my colleagues that we, journalists, are God’s chosen people. As such, we are a special group who should be over and above the law in the name of press freedom and the right of the people to know.

Santa Banana, why should we, media people, be exempted from the implementation of the rule of law, and be over and above lawful authority and ride roughshed on justice? Just because we are exercising freedom of the press and asserting the right of the people to know?

My gulay, obviously, those ABS-CBN petitioners think they are a special breed, and that freedom of the press is boundless!

* * *

ABS-CBN media people should once again read their network’s franchise documents. The franchise, given them by Congress, comes with guidelines on what they can and cannot do in the exercise of their press freedom and the right of the people to know.

First of all, broadcast—radio or television—is a privilege, not a right.

Second, I would just like to emphasize to the ABS-CBN people that their network was granted that franchise by Congress within the bounds of law because the use of the airlanes is a privilege, not a right. Airlanes are public domain.

Above all, we, journalists, are not God’s chosen people. We are ordinary mortals. Like everybody else, we are subject to the rule of law.

Under these premises, that media advisory coming from the Department of Justice was timely and relevant. There is a growing perception among media people, particularly those from ABS-CBN, that they can do anything they like in the name of press freedom and the right of the people to know. My gulay, how many crimes have been committed because of these?

***

In the light of this growing perception, particularly with the arrogance of ABS-CBN, being the biggest radio and television network, I would like to give the new president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipinas—Ms. Maloli Espinosa Manalastas—unsolicited advice. The KBP is the umbrella organization and regulatory body of the radio and television networks. ABS-CBN must be reminded that what it has is a congressional franchise and a permit to operate from the National Telecommunications Commission.

***

It’s basic in radio and television franchises. The exercise of press freedom and the right of the people to know cannot supercede the rights of others, especially the right of the state to secure and protect itself.

When I was first KBP president way back in the Martial Law days, we adopted guidelines and a Code of Conduct, which through the years, have not been implemented. Somehow, the KBP lost its moral high ground as a self-regulatory body to oversee radio and television.

One perfect example of this is that radio and television have blatantly violated KBP guidelines and Code of Standards on commercial placements so much so that it’s now the advertising industry that’s running radio and television networks.

Above all, KBP should remind members once again that their franchise and permits to operate set limits on what they can and cannot do.



**************************************************

Part Two - To The Point by Emil Jurado
source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=emilJurado_jan24_2008

The refusal of the Supreme Court en banc to grant outright the writ of amparo to 11 ABS-CBN media petitioners—to “protect” them from intimidation and threats, and a “prior restraint on their exercise of press freedom and the right of the people to know”—is a signal, whether they admit it or not, that the tribunal has doubts over what exactly is the relief they seek.

This can gleaned from the statement of the high court en banc for the respondents to clarify within 10 days whether or not the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the police and the military have indeed threatened media from exercising their freedom of the press and the right of the people to information so much so that media should be “protected” by the writ of amparo umbrella.

Personally, I believe that the petition of the 11 ABS-CBN media people is not only speculative since the alleged threat or intimidation brought about by the justice department advisory is nothing but a reiteration of the enforcement of the rule of law in crisis situations, and not bully media.

For how can it be browbeaten at the rate stories are being written about it? Come on.

There’s nothing than can stop the exercise of press freedom and the right of the people to know so long as we abide by the rule of law. Since no freedom, not even press freedom, is a license to do anything, we, journalists, are not special people or God’s chosen ones to believe that we are over and above the law.

In fact, as a lawyer myself, I find the petition of 11 ABS-CBN media people before the Supreme Court to grant them special protection is violative of the equal protection provision of the charter.

***

I have been asked by friends and readers of my column why I’m against the outcries of my colleagues in media against the threats and intimidation of government to suppress press freedom and threatening “prior restraint” on our exercise of the freedom and the right of the people to know. “Shouldn’t you be also in the side of your media colleagues?” they asked.

First of all, I’ll fight to the death the exercise of my freedom as a journalist of long standing as I have done in the past. But, I also believe that press freedom and the people’s right to know are not without limits.

When it comes to press freedom going against the rule of law, I’d go for the latter not only because I’m a lawyer, but because without the rule of law, anarchy and the law of the jungle take over.

Besides, when it comes to a choice between exercising our press freedom and the right of the people to know, the protection, security and stability of the state comes first. Otherwise, without government what kind society will we have?

And there’s the fact that print medium as distinguished from broadcast—radio and television—should be held apart since in the exercise of our freedom in print is limited only by the Revised Penal Code, like the libel law. In broadcast, the exercise of press freedom is a privilege, given under franchise by Congress along with the permit to operate from the National Telecommunications Commission.

[red_jasper]

RSF hits 'cowardice' of gov't execs in defending press freedom
02/14/2008 | 02:40 PM

International media watchdog Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) on Thursday scored public officials worldwide - including the Philippines - for their "impotence, cowardice and duplicity" in defending freedom of expression.

In its its annual press freedom report covering 98 countries, the RSF voiced alarm over the lack of determination of government officials.

"The spinelessness of some Western countries and major international bodies is harming press freedom," Robert Ménard, RSF secretary general, said.

"The lack of determination by democratic countries in defending the values they supposedly stand for is alarming," he added.

The RSF report noted how the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva "caved in" to pressure from countries such as Iran and Uzbekistan and expressed concern at the "softness" of the European Union toward dictators.

Report on the Philippines

In its report on the Philippines, the RSF noted that two journalists were killed because of their work in 2007, fewer than in previous years, but constant threats and physical attacks make some regions, particularly Mindanao, dangerous areas.

The group noted that the press "managed to defend its rights despite judicial harassment from some political figures that led to journalists being imprisoned."

The RSF said hired killers continue to strike in the Philippines, like in the killing of Carmelo Palacios, of public radio dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Palacios, who reported for dzRB in Nueva Ecija province, was murdered on April 17 last year. Police said the motive appeared most likely connected to his work.

The RSF noted that Palacios worked on reports exposing corruption and he collaborated with the police to break up criminal gangs through his program "Citizens Crime Watch."

"At the time of his death, he was investigating cases of misuse of power on the part of police officers and local officials," the RSF said.

In December, two men riding a motorbike shot and killed Ferdinand Lintuan of dxGO Radio in Davao City.

Lintuan had been critical of local officials and had accused the governor of Davao of corruption in the development of a "People's park" project, which he had dubbed the "crocodile park."

The RSF said four other Filipino journalists were killed in 2007, but it was not sure if the murders were linked to their work as journalists.

The group said there were also at least ten murder attempts on journalists during the year.

In April two men shot at Delfin Mallari of the Philippine Daily Inquirer in South Luzon and Johnny Glorioso of radio dzMM.

Last July a transport official shot Ferdinand "Bambi" Yngson, of radio RGMA-Bacolod in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, after Yngson exposed alleged embezzlement and unfair practices on the part of officials enforcing road regulations.

Jose Cagalawan Pantoja, of radio dxLS in Iligan, suffered the same fate when two men riding a motorbike shot him several times in the stomach, leaving him seriously injured.

Pantoja was also spokesman for the former governor of Lanao del Norte, Imelda Dimaporo.

"The media, which do most to expose corruption and abuse by armed gangs on Mindanao island, have been the target of violence," the report said.

Several vehicles belonging to radio dxCC in Cagayan de Oro were damaged in a bomb attack outside the station in March. The radio's director, Zaldy Ocon, received a death threat via a text on his mobile phone shortly before the attack.

The RSF said Task Force Usig has had some degree of success, where two suspects in the 2001 murder of journalist Rolando Ureta were arrested in November.

Official statistics showed a reduction of more than 80 percent in murders of journalists, trade unions and opposition figures during the year.

"However it will be a long struggle to really put an end to impunity," the report said.

A detailed report by a UN group of experts, headed by Philip Alston, concluded that some sections of the army were implicated in extra-judicial killings of left wing activists, including journalists, the RSF noted.

Families of murder victims who fight impunity have ended up being threatened themselves, it added.

This happened to Nena Santos, a lawyer and friend of journalist Marlene Esperat, who was murdered in 2005. She received several death threats while she was working on the case.

The RSF also noted that while it is rare in the Philippines for journalists to receive prison sentences, a presenter of dxMF Bombo Radyo, Alex Adonis, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison in January for criminal libel.

Adonis could not afford to hire a lawyer to defend him at his trial. He was imprisoned in a Davao City jail.

Last year, police arrested Gemma Bagauaya, editor of online magazine Newsbreak at her office after former governor and defeated senatorial candidate Luis Singson lodged a libel suit against her.

Singson is a political ally who helped catapult President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to power in 2001.

Bagauaya was released on bail a few hours later.

In June, Jofelle Tesorio, the Bangkok correspondent of Asia News Network, was imprisoned in Quezon City over a series of articles written in 2003 about a natural gas project in Camago-Malampaya in Palawan.

The RSF also noted the rough treatment police gave reporters covering the November 29 Makati City standoff.

"Several dozen journalists were arrested close to a hotel in Manila where around 30 soldiers were holed up and calling for the president's resignation. The journalists, including several foreign press correspondents, were questioned about 'obstruction of justice.' Police said they needed to check that none of the rebels had escaped by hiding among the journalists," the RSF report said.

The RSF also noted first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo's decision last May 3, World Press Freedom Day, to drop libel suits he filed against 46 journalists and editors in 2003.

"Philippines journalist organisations had campaigned very effectively to get the country's 'First gentleman' to back down, taking him to court themselves in December 2006 over the unacceptable nature of his accusations," the RSF said. - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/80559/RSF-hits-cowardice-of-govt-execs-in-defending-press-freedom)

[Fundador]

^^Sometimes the lokal and national media are bias,sensational, u feel like your listening to a AM radio reporter and parang tabloid.i like watching cnn style of reporting.much credible!ditinctive journalism

[Fundador]

:ohno:Minsan spokeperson sila ! Tapos kailangan hinay-hinay sa pag-atake sa mga tao na government officials para hindi ka ma-slavage o makitang palutang -lutang sa Pasig River!

I agree,May I also add that minsan it is not news that they deliver, i think it's their opinions,kaya masyado na minsan personalan ang pag atake nila:ohno:

[chocolato1000]

Stop blaming media for Arroyo woes, NPC tells Palace

The National Press Club (NPC) on Friday told Malacañang to stop blaming media for the administration’s woes and instead start facing squarely or doing something real about the charges that have been hurled against the administration.

Reacting to pronouncements by Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza blaming media for the “leak" of the alleged plot to assassinate President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the NPC blasted Malacañang for its penchant for always tossing the blame on media.

Prestoza, chief of the Presidential Security Group, was reported earlier Friday of laying the blame on media for the reports on the alleged plot of Muslim extremists to assassinate the President and launch attacks.

“For the past several months - and even in the years before these latest controversies erupted - Malacañang has committed every possible act it can to manipulate media, castrate media, restrain freedom of expression, impose prior restraint, and arrest members of the media but not face media with truth and candidness," the NPC said.

The NPC said that media cannot be cowed and called on its members to remain vigilant and exercise to the full the people’s constitutionally guaranteed right to free expression and information.

At the same time, the NPC hailed the decision of the Supreme Court upholding media’s right and responsibility to air the “Hello, Garci" tapes.

The NPC called the SC decision voiding an order issued by the National Telecommunications Commission and the Justice department warning media against airing the recordings of alleged wiretapped conversations on cheating in the 2004 presidential polls as “another triumph for press freedom and civil liberties."

“Once again, the High Court has placed civil liberties to its rightful place in a democracy," the NPC said. - GMANews.TV

[odyssey]

The truth finally came out through Neri's news interview. Yet the print media seem to be blocking the truth behind the lying Lozada mess.

Panfilo Lacson and Jambi Madrigal were the crooks behind the lies of the lying Lozada. The two secretly met and cornered Lozada and Neri to press the latter to link the innocent PGMA with the ZTE-NBN deal. Lacson and Madrigal’s main intention was to force the resignation of PGMA because that’s the only way they can control the Philippine Executive position. Lacson and Madrigal knew very well that they wouldn’t win in 2010 so they would do anything; create any lies, even threaten the lying Lozada to lie to forcibly take the Philippine leadership. Pinoys, beware of Lacson and Madrigal, they are the evil amongst the evils in the opposition. Lacson is the number one opportunist trapo that threatened to kidnap Lozada yet Lacson was able to turn the table against the more credible Atienza and Rason.
Huwag magpaloko sa mga pakana ni Lacson at Madrigal na mga Tuso.

Nabuking din ang kalansay sa likod ng baul in Lacson at Madrigal. Dapa ang manglolokong si Lacson at Madrigal ang ilagay sa mahabang baul.

[calamba]

The truth finally came out through Neri's news interview. Yet the print media seem to be blocking the truth behind the lying Lozada mess.

Panfilo Lacson and Jambi Madrigal were the crooks behind the lies of the lying Lozada. The two secretly met and cornered Lozada and Neri to press the latter to link the innocent PGMA with the ZTE-NBN deal. Lacson and Madrigal’s main intention was to force the resignation of PGMA because that’s the only way they can control the Philippine Executive position. Lacson and Madrigal knew very well that they wouldn’t win in 2010 so they would do anything; create any lies, even threaten the lying Lozada to lie to forcibly take the Philippine leadership. Pinoys, beware of Lacson and Madrigal, they are the evil amongst the evils in the opposition. Lacson is the number one opportunist trapo that threatened to kidnap Lozada yet Lacson was able to turn the table against the more credible Atienza and Rason.
Huwag magpaloko sa mga pakana ni Lacson at Madrigal na mga Tuso.

Nabuking din ang kalansay sa likod ng baul in Lacson at Madrigal. Dapa ang manglolokong si Lacson at Madrigal ang ilagay sa mahabang baul.

youre absolutely right. we do not tolerate people who continueously
divide the nation. please do not re-elect or elect scoliotic bobong MADRIGAL
and wiretapper LACSON.

[odyssey]

Prelate chides media for siding with pro-resign bishops
03/06/2008 | 01:18 AM
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83558/Prelate-chides-media-for-siding-with-pro-resign-bishops

MANILA, Philippines - A senior Catholic bishop chided some sectors of media Wednesday for "siding" and frequently quoting pro-resign Catholic bishops at the expense of the "majority."

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo said the media "spin" of a "divided hierarchy" took place after bishops failed to join calls for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation or ouster.

"The image of a divided hierarchy could be a media creation. Four or five bishops with a contrary opinion receive a lot of disproportionate media exposure and mileage. If one studies newspaper reports and interviews, their names appear again and again. Yet Bishops with this contrary opinion constitute less than 10% of the whole hierarchy," Quevedo, a former CBCP president, said in a statement on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Web site Wednesday night.

He said the present CBCP consists of 115 bishops. Of these, 100 are active voting members, and less than 10 are considered "pro-resign."

Quevedo also defended the CBCP's earlier stand for not calling for Mrs Arroyo's resignation.

"CBCP cannot yield by the current 'popular' political opinion and public clamor for Mrs Arroyo's resignation," he said.

Meanwhile, he blamed the Senate for being a partisan forum for the opposition "to pile up charges upon charges, proven or not, for their own political vested interests."

In the $329.48-million ZTE broadband deal mess, he said a Senate investigation is not ultimately meant to determine responsibility and guilt.

"So, the Senate may not really the proper venue for seeking the truth," he said.- GMANews.TV

[WawaY[625]]

another bullcrap news from ABS-CBN

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111460

Mindanao Still Poorest Island in Nearly A Decade


Official government statistics also showed that regions from Mindanao were also among the country’s poorest. All the five regions from Mindanao—Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are among the country’s 10 poorest in 2003 and 2006. (Link to the Table of Poverty Incidence by Region for 2000, 2003, and 2006)

In 2006, the two poorest regions were from Mindanao—ARMM and Caraga. Poverty incidence in ARMM and Caraga were at 55.3 percent and 45.5 percent, respectively. The figure in ARMM means that more than half of its families are classified as poor.

National Anti-Poverty Commission assistant secretary Dolores De Quiros-Castillo said that the volatile peace and order situation in Muslim Mindanao and the lack of infrastructure in Caraga are the major causes of high poverty incidence in the regions.


tapos may link silang binigay ng NCSB

and sa link here are the 10 poorest

Zamboanga del Norte
Maguindanao
Masbate
Surigao del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Surigao del Sur
Misamis Occidental
Mt. Province
Biliran
Lanao del Norte

no mention of either davao region or misamis oriental

matawagan nga :bash:

edit: tumawag na ako

i double check daw nila :bash:

[bariQ]

may galit yata sila sa atin... maghahasik muna ako ng lagim sa kanilang forums :D

[WawaY[625]]

funny nung tumawag ako

so nirefer ko yung nakausap ko regarding the article tapos binasa nya

tapos sabi ko may link nung poverty icidence and wala naman yung davao region and misor and he said..(parang ganito) "uhhmm yeah"

tapos i report daw sa editor para ma check


:lol:

[tigidig14]

0-4huKDmMYE

:lol: i imagine sinjin doing such

[WawaY[625]]

;18883335']another bullcrap news from ABS-CBN

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111460

Mindanao Still Poorest Island in Nearly A Decade



tapos may link silang binigay ng NCSB

and sa link here are the 10 poorest

Zamboanga del Norte
Maguindanao
Masbate
Surigao del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Surigao del Sur
Misamis Occidental
Mt. Province
Biliran
Lanao del Norte

no mention of either davao region or misamis oriental

matawagan nga :bash:

edit: tumawag na ako

i double check daw nila :bash:


di pa rin inaayos ang error :ohno:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111460

[Nabartek]

The truth finally came out through Neri's news interview. Yet the print media seem to be blocking the truth behind the lying Lozada mess.

Panfilo Lacson and Jambi Madrigal were the crooks behind the lies of the lying Lozada. The two secretly met and cornered Lozada and Neri to press the latter to link the innocent PGMA with the ZTE-NBN deal. Lacson and Madrigal’s main intention was to force the resignation of PGMA because that’s the only way they can control the Philippine Executive position. Lacson and Madrigal knew very well that they wouldn’t win in 2010 so they would do anything; create any lies, even threaten the lying Lozada to lie to forcibly take the Philippine leadership. Pinoys, beware of Lacson and Madrigal, they are the evil amongst the evils in the opposition. Lacson is the number one opportunist trapo that threatened to kidnap Lozada yet Lacson was able to turn the table against the more credible Atienza and Rason.
Huwag magpaloko sa mga pakana ni Lacson at Madrigal na mga Tuso.

Nabuking din ang kalansay sa likod ng baul in Lacson at Madrigal. Dapa ang manglolokong si Lacson at Madrigal ang ilagay sa mahabang baul.


If this is true, then it´s utterly bothering. I mean yan nanaman sila gumagamit ng ´para sa bayan´churvaness.

Naalala ko dati sabi ni Lozada natakot daw siya baka maBobby Dacer siya. Diba ang hinihilaang nagpapatay kay Dacer ay yung mga alagad ni Lacson?

[3cr]

Pope: Media at crossroads between self-promotion and service
GMA News
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/93091/Pope-Media-at-crossroads-between-self-promotion-and-service

MANILA, Philippines - Noting that modern media institutions are turned between self-promotion and service, Pope Benedict XVI has called for "info-ethics" and a bolder than ever search for the truth.

The Pope stressed the important role of the media in the life of individuals and society today because of their technological evolution and educational potential.

"In view of their meteoric technological evolution, the media have acquired extraordinary potential, while raising new and hitherto unimaginable questions and problems. There is no denying the contribution they can make to the diffusion of news, to knowledge of facts and to the dissemination of information: they have played a decisive part, for example, in the spread of literacy and in socialization, as well as the development of democracy and dialog among peoples," he said in his message for the 42nd World Communications Day, which takes place this Sunday.

The Pope also called on media to ask the Holy Spirit to raise up courageous communicators and authentic witnesses to the truth.

Such communicators, he said, must "interpret modern cultural needs, committing themselves to approaching the communications age not as a time of alienation and confusion, but as a valuable time for the quest for the truth and for developing communion between persons and peoples."

He also called for "info-ethics," just as there is bioethics in the field of medicine and in scientific research linked to life.

"We must ask, therefore, whether it is wise to allow the instruments of social communication to be exploited for indiscriminate 'self-promotion' or to end up in the hands of those who use them to manipulate consciences. Should it not be a priority to ensure that they remain at the service of the person and of the common good, and that they foster 'man's ethical formation … man's inner growth?'" he said.

Without their contribution it would truly be difficult to foster and strengthen understanding between nations, to breathe life into peace dialogs around the globe, to guarantee the primary good of access to information, while at the same time ensuring the free circulation of ideas, especially those promoting the ideals of solidarity and social justice, he said.

But he also noted the media risks being transformed into systems aimed at subjecting humanity to agendas dictated by the dominant interests of the day.

"This is what happens when communication is used for ideological purposes or for the aggressive advertising of consumer products. While claiming to represent reality, it can tend to legitimize or impose distorted models of personal, family or social life," he said.

Moreover, to attract listeners and increase the size of audiences, it does not hesitate at times to have recourse to vulgarity and violence, and to overstep the mark, he added.

"The media can also present and support models of development which serve to increase rather than reduce the technological divide between rich and poor countries," he said.

On the other hand, he said humanity today is at a crossroads where progress offers new possibilities for good but also opens up appalling possibilities for evil.

Benedict said communication must not lose its ethical underpinning and elude society's control, lest it end up no longer taking into account the centrality and inviolable dignity of the human person.

"As a result it risks exercising a negative influence on people's consciences and choices and definitively conditioning their freedom and their very lives. For this reason it is essential that social communications should assiduously defend the person and fully respect human dignity," he said.

Benedict stressed the media must avoid becoming spokesmen for economic materialism and ethical relativism, which he said are the true scourges of our time.

"Instead, they can and must contribute to making known the truth about humanity, and defending it against those who tend to deny or destroy it. One might even say that seeking and presenting the truth about humanity constitutes the highest vocation of social communication," he said.

[kiretoce]

Manila’s ugly press-freedom record (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/03/yehey/opinion/20080503opi1.html)

Today is World Press Freedom Day. Credible and respected international organizations like the United Nations (whose General Assembly in 1993 proclaimed May 3 as World Press Freedom Day), Freedom House and the Committee to Protect Journalists, take the occasion to tell the people of the globe of violations of the basic right to freedom of expression. They remind them that many journalists brave death or jail to bring people their daily news.

The Arroyo administration has managed to earn for itself the notoriety of being one of the topmost violators of press freedom.

The UN Human Rights Rapporteur, Philip Alston, is considered a villain by the administration. The Justice secretary insulted him as nothing but a “muchacho” (a houseboy). He reported to his UN “masters” that our country is one of the world’s worst places for journalists.

In honor of World Press Freedom Day, Freedom House—an institution that some cabinet secretaries ignorantly insulted as merely a “private group”—condemned the Philippines as a country where “violence against journalists and, in many cases, corresponding impunity regarding past cases of abuse” is as rife as in Mexico and Russia.

Freedom House’s credentials are known to America’s highest leaders. Its trustees include some of the wealthiest and most respected. Leftwing groups disparage Freedom House for being too conservative for their taste, despite its consistent and unwavering efforts to uphold human freedoms and the democratic way. But rightwing Arroyo cabinet members and defenders of the Palace—obviously without knowing what they were talking about—dismissed the importance of this organization that Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, founded in 1941 along with other leading Americans to confront threats to peace and democracy.

Freedom House’s latest report continues to rate the Philippines as only a “Partly Free,” not a “Free” country.

It says of the local press that “While reports are often rooted in sensationalism and innuendo, media in the Philippines have historically ranked among the freest, most vibrant, and outspoken in Southeast Asia. However, press freedom in 2007 continued to face limits due to the ongoing threat posed by journalist-targeted violence and the use of defamation suits to silence criticism of public officials, while the arrests of 30 media workers covering a coup attempt in November and subsequent warnings infringed upon news coverage of a significant national event.”

The Freedom House review of the Philippine press in 2007 named lawyer Mike Arroyo, the President’s spouse. It mentioned his filing and then withdrawal of libel suits against newsmen. That and the police’s arrest of journalists covering the Peninsula Hotel caper led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th, the killing of truly professional journalists at work and government threats to arrest newsmen who do not heed government orders to leave scenes of conflict are signs that freedom of the press in the Philippines has been diminished.

Champions in impunity

Our country’s ugly human rights and press freedom record is also given high marks by the New York-based international Committee to Protect Journalists, whose representative was told to “Go jump in the lake” by the Justice secretary.

In its report on the Impunity Index of countries, released on Wednesday for World Press Freedom Day, CPJ said Philippine law-enforcement authorities held the world’s sixth poorest record in going after, arresting and prosecuting murderers of journalists.

“Most countries on the Impunity Index are democratic, are not at war, and have functioning law enforcement institutions, yet journalists are regularly targeted for murder and no one is held accountable,” says the CPJ report.

It repeated an observation many Filipinos—including The Times—have made: That “… journalists covering corruption, crime, and politics have repeatedly been targeted with violence.”

“Broadcast commentators and reporters in provincial regions are especially vulnerable. Politicians and police have been implicated in a number of slayings, but corruption in the local court system has stymied efforts to prosecute. No convictions have been obtained in 24 cases,” CPJ’s report says.

The CPJ’s Impunity Index Rating for the Philippines is “0.289 unsolved journalist murders per 1 million inhabitants.” We rank just below Sri Lanka where, the CPJ report says, “journalists are more likely to be assassinated than to die in crossfire, with many of the victims ethnic Tamils.”

Shed the ugly image

Both Freedom House and the Committee to Protect Journalists—as well as other institutions that have probed into human rights and press freedom in our country—never fail to remark on our “a free and vibrant press.” Freedom House says “”media in the Philippines have historically ranked among the freest, most vibrant, and outspoken in Southeast Asia.”

The President and her key people sometimes speak with pride about the Philippine press. There is no reason for the Palace to have an ugly image for having at least acquiesced in the killing of journalists targeted as “enemies of the state” or “political enemies.”

The Palace should not allow itself to have the hideous image of being a promoter of impunity.

It should go after persons and groups who have killed journalists. It should by deeds prove the militant and leftwing human rights activists’ wrong when they cry out at rallies that Malacañang is truly behind these killings.

[absinthe_888]

journalists in the philippines usually do AC/DC...and envelopmental journalism

[red_jasper]

More journalists ask SC to stop gov’t ‘prior restraint’

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080507-135190/More-journalists-ask-SC-to-stop-govt-prior-restraint)
First Posted 17:34:00 05/07/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- More journalists have asked the Supreme Court to prevent the executive department from imposing prior restraint on the media during national emergencies.

Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, editor-in-chief, Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, reporter Volt Contreras, and columnist Solita "Winnie" Monsod, were among the journalists who filed a motion to intervene asking that they be included as petitioners in a pending case before the high court in connection with the mass arrest of journalists who covered the occupation of the Manila Peninsula Hotel by renegade soldiers last year.

The original petitioners in the pending case, among them a number of the arrested journalists, said government officials have continued to issue threats against them, citing the statement of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that in similar situations, media practitioners would be held criminally liable if they to "disobey lawful orders from duly authorized government officials."

Those who filed the motion to intervene also asked the high court to order government to stop branding journalists as protectors or co-conspirators of rebels.

The other petitioners are Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) president Ramon Tuazon, AIJC senior adviser Dr. Florangel Rosario-Braid, AIJC editor Nimfa D. Camua and BizNews Asia president Tony Lopez and more than 16 Baguio City-based journalists.

Aside from Gonzalez, the respondents in the case are Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines' chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon Jr., National Capitol Region Police Office Director Geary Barias, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina.

[Animo]

By Tonette Orejas (http://business.inquirer.net/money/features/view/20080518-137353/Regions-need-own-media-platforms)
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 19:15:00 05/18/2008

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines--Indifferent. Disbelieving.

Levy Laus recalled getting such reactions from his friends in 2006 when he prepared to embark on a project that has never been done in Central Luzon: Set up a regional television station.

"'What for?' they asked. 'Central Luzon is just a corridor that links [Metro] Manila to the more exotic North,' they said," Laus said, quoting the most cynical of them.

But the 57-year-old businessman went on.

A year since CLTV36 broadcast live over the region's seven provinces and 13 cities on May 10, Laus, chair of the Central Luzon Broadcasting Corp., that runs CLTV36 and the radio station dwRW, said this business endeavor continued to raise eyebrows.

"Some people would call it naivete. Others would say adventurism. In CLTV36, we call it commitment," he said in a speech during CLBC's first anniversary celebration.

Laus is also president of the government-owned Clark Development Corp.

Speaking via phone patch, governors and business leaders hailed the event as the "coming of age" of regional TV in the country.

It must be so because CLTV36 came at a time when national TV networks reign in the media landscape and cable TV took a heavy slant for foreign shows and movies.

These have less local content.

"Regional interests take the backseat," said Sonia Soto, general manager of CLTV36 and vice president of the CLBC.

To Laus, Central Luzon deserves to have its own TV because it is "more than a corridor."

The region, he said, continues to play a "strategic role in our national history and development."

Of the eight provinces that first revolted against Spanish colonialism, four--Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Pampanga--are in Central Luzon.

The region took on international importance when the United States set up its military bases in Clark, Pampanga and Subic in Zambales. Filipinos made these the centers of nationalist struggles as well.

Central Luzon produced four Philippine presidents: Ramon Magsaysay of Zambales, Diosdado Macapagal and his daughter Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga, and Corazon Aquino of Tarlac.

Still a rice granary, the region has also become a hub of development, contributing 10 percent of the gross national product and supporting major industries through the freeports in Clark and Subic.

People Power I in 1986, said Laus, challenged "Manila's monopoly as the center of power, commerce and communications."

"The regions are now emerging with their defined needs. Those needs are what we want to address in CLTV," he said.

"As such, it needs to harness its voice for it to be better heard. It needs a freer flow of information within to link effectively outside. It needs its own media platform to showcase itself and that itself is a daunting task," he said.

"CLTV36 is that platform," Laus said.

Packaged as "one region, one station," the station has sustained eight shows in its start-up year. These are "OK si Dok," "CLTV Balitaan," "Wagi (Women are Great Inspiration)," "Music Zone," "Hamon Central Luzon," "Men of Light," "Simpleng Usapan" and "Y-Fi."

New shows are debuting as well. These are "Magsilbi Tamu," "Aldong Maningning," "Your President in Action," "Sulong Gitnang Luzon," "Everybody Talks with Perry" and "She Means Business."

All feature local talents and issues.

Soto said the shows provide "platforms for elected officials to inform their constituencies, highlight the region's rich culture, give a voice to the marginalized sectors and offer advertisers the focus to hold on local market niches."

"We're trying to always strike a balance between community service and profitable business, making CLTV36 the source of information and entertainment without compromising truth and fairness," said Soto.

[red_jasper]

(UPDATE 2) Tribune publisher Olivarez guilty of libel
The Firm to pursue 47 more cases

By Tetch Torres, Julie M. Aurelio
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080605-140877/UPDATE-2-Tribune-publisher-Olivarez-guilty-of-libel), Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:37:00 06/05/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- A Makati City court on Thursday found journalist and newspaper publisher Ninez Cacho Olivarez guilty of libel for writing a column accusing a law firm of influence peddling in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA3) deal.

And the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo & Angcanco Law Firm (also known as The Firm) says it is pursuing 47 more libel suits -- each case for one article -- it has filed against the publisher of The Daily Tribune.

"We want to hold her accountable for these 47 malicious articles. It’s not just about the money," said lawyer Miguel Silos.

Olivarez was sentenced to a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 2 years by Judge Winlove Dumayas of Regional Trial Court Branch 59. She was also ordered to pay P5 million in moral damages and P33,732.25 in civil damages.

Aside from these fines, Olivarez was also ordered to pay a libel fine of P4,000.

Olivarez however maintained that the court did not prove any malice in her articles.

Judge Winlove Dumayas of Regional Trial Court Branch 59 sentenced Olivarez, publisher of The Daily Tribune, to a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 2 years imprisonment.

"It’s clearly an injustice. What was written there was not libel," Olivarez said defiantly, albeit a bit teary-eyed.

Her lawyer Alexis Medina said they will appeal the Makati court's decision by filing a motion for reconsideration and exhaust all legal remedies.

Olivarez, for now, may enjoy freedom as the court allowed her provisional liberty granted she posts bail.

Medina asked for the provisional liberty of Olivarez pending the filing of the appeal on the verdict.

The usual bail recommended for libel is P10,000, but Dumayas has yet to specify the increased amount for Olivarez's continued freedom.

The case was filed in 2003 by stemmed from Olivarez’ June 23, 2003 column in which she claimed collusion between then Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo and the law firm on a complaint filed by its client against the winning bidder for the construction of the NAIA 3.

[venntro]

TV reporter, crew kidnapped in Sulu, police say
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080610-141793/TV-reporter-crew-kidnapped-in-Sulu-police-say

By Thea Alberto
Associated Press, INQUIRER.net
First Posted 05:56:00 06/10/2008

MANILA, Philippines — Well-known television reporter Ces Drilon and two of her crew have been abducted while pursuing a story in the southernmost province Sulu by armed men believed to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group, police officials said.

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. said in a statement that Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama were “missing in Sulu” and that “all efforts are underway to find them and bring them home.”

Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, police regional director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said Drilon and the two crew members were intercepted Sunday in Maimbung, a township in the Sulu capital Jolo, by armed men under Albader Parad, an Abu Sayyaf leader in the area.

Goltiao said the TV news team flew to Mindanao on Saturday on the invitation of Mindanao State University Professor Octavio Dinampo "to cover a special event."

Drilon was to interview the Abu Sayyaf, Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon told INQUIRER.net.

Goltiao said that Dinmapo picked up Drilon and her crew from a university hostel and that armed men, identified as being under Parad's command, intercepted them as their vehicle passed through Kulasi village.

"Along the way in Kulasi, Maimbung, Sulu, they were intercepted by an armed group and now they are held in captivity,” said Goltiao. He said the group was brought to Indanan town in Sulu.

He initially identified the abductors as Albader Parad, an Abu Sayyaf member, and Gapur Jundain, a former member of the erstwhile separatist Moro National Liberation Front who recently joined the extremist group.

"We are closely monitoring with ABS-CBN as well as the military commander and the PNP Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Regional director," said Razon.

"We are assisting them for the safe return of Ces that's why we don't highlight the situation," he added, noting that they had no idea yet of Drilon's whereabouts.

Goltiao said ABS-CBN management would not say why Drilon and her crew went to Sulu. He added, “Outsiders must coordinate with police for security."

Goltiao said officials of the airplane Drilon and her team boarded had offered her security but the broadcast journalist refused, citing the "confidentiality" of the trip.

Goltiao said he was not aware of any ransom demand. He said he was trying to reach ABS-CBN in Manila for more details.

The ABS-CBN statement said, “Until we learn more details, ABS-CBN News requests other media to report on this matter with utmost consideration for the safety of our news team. ABS-CBN News is in touch with the families, and asks that their privacy be respected.”

The Abu Sayyaf is estimated to have 380 fighters, compared with more than 1,000 eight years ago. It has been weakened by US-backed military offensives that have led to the killing and capture of many of its leaders and members.

Police say the militants have continued to plot attacks, including against US soldiers who have been giving counterterrorism training to Filipino troops in Jolo and nearby provinces.

Washington has blacklisted Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist group for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, such as the 2001 abduction from a resort island of 21 people who included three Americans.

Philippine military and police officials say the group has received training and funds from al-Qaeda militants in the past.

[venntro]

TV reporter, crew kidnapped in Sulu, police say
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080610-141793/TV-reporter-crew-kidnapped-in-Sulu-police-say

By Thea Alberto
Associated Press, INQUIRER.net
First Posted 05:56:00 06/10/2008

MANILA, Philippines — Well-known television reporter Ces Drilon and two of her crew have been abducted while pursuing a story in the southernmost province Sulu by armed men believed to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group, police officials said.

The ABS-CBN statement said, “Until we learn more details, ABS-CBN News requests other media to report on this matter with utmost consideration for the safety of our news team. ABS-CBN News is in touch with the families, and asks that their privacy be respected.”




^^ ABS-CBN is now singing a different tune. During the Manila Pen seige, they were adamant in covering the highly charged coup soldiers for the "sake of journalism". Now, they are "concerned" with the safety of their news team? For crying out loud! Why allow your employees to go there in the first place?

[venntro]

ABS-CBN Official Statement on Ces Drilon

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON CES DRILON:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=121391

ABS-CBN News journalists Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion, and Angelo Valderama have been kidnapped for ransom.

ABS-CBN News is doing everything it can to help the families of its kidnapped journalists through this harrowing ordeal.

However, ABS-CBN News will abide by its policy not to pay ransom because this would embolden kidnap for ransom groups to abduct other journalists, putting more lives at risk.

We ask the nation for your prayers and request our colleagues in media to join ABS-CBN News in condemning this unconscionable attack against journalists.

We thank everyone for the outpouring of support we have received in this most difficult time.



PAHAYAG NG ABS-CBN UKOL KAY CES DRILON:



Kinumpirma ng ABS-CBN News na kinidnap sa Sulu ng di kilalang grupo sina Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion, at Angelo Valderama.

Humihingi ng ransom ang mga kidnapper.

Habang ginagawa ng ABS-CBN News ang lahat para tulungan ang pamilya ng mga bihag, mahigpit nitong ipinatutupad ang "no ransom policy" o ang patakarang huwag magbayad ng ransom sa sinumang kidnaper.

Ipinaliwanag ng pamunuan ng ABS-CBN News na hindi ito nagbabayad ng ransom dahil lalo lamang lalakas ang loob ng mga kidnapper na dumukot ng ibang taga-media at ordinaryong mamamayan.

Patuloy na tumutulong ang ABS-CBN News sa mga pamilya ng aming news team.

Hiling ng ABS-CBN ang panalangin ng bayan. Panawagan din po namin sa aming mga kasamahan sa propesyon na ikundena ang walang habag na pagdukot sa malayang media.

Nagpapasalamat kami sa ipinamalas na suporta ng lahat sa gitna ng krisis na ito.

[spearhead]

^^ ABS-CBN is now singing a different tune. During the Manila Pen seige, they were adamant in covering the highly charged coup soldiers for the "sake of journalism". Now, they are "concerned" with the safety of their news team? For crying out loud! Why allow your employees to go there in the first place?

meron kasing nagkakalat dito na kung gaano ka-independent ang abs-cbn, kung baga nalaman ng mga asg na marami talagang pera si bossing...

;18884695']di pa rin inaayos ang error :ohno:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=111460

isn't the report said that mindanao is still the poorest island? so there's nothing wrong in mentioning those 10 poorest provinces IN mindanao, as in mindanao island. so without mentioning davao means, davao is still doin a great job.

[red_jasper]

'Ces Drilon, crew alive and well'

Veteran broadcast journalist Ces Drilon and her crew are alive and well despite being held hostage in the mountains of Sulu province, radio dzMM reported Thursday morning.

Correspondent Ruby Tayag reported that the good news was also confirmed by Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Alexander Yano.

According to Yano, local officials in Sulu, who are also members of the crisis committee handling the case, said there is proof of life.

Read on (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=121500)

[federalist]

TV reporter, crew kidnapped in Sulu, police say
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080610-141793/TV-reporter-crew-kidnapped-in-Sulu-police-say

By Thea Alberto
Associated Press, INQUIRER.net
First Posted 05:56:00 06/10/2008

MANILA, Philippines — Well-known television reporter Ces Drilon and two of her crew have been abducted while pursuing a story in the southernmost province Sulu by armed men believed to be members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group, police officials said.

ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. said in a statement that Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama were “missing in Sulu” and that “all efforts are underway to find them and bring them home.”

Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, police regional director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said Drilon and the two crew members were intercepted Sunday in Maimbung, a township in the Sulu capital Jolo, by armed men under Albader Parad, an Abu Sayyaf leader in the area.

Goltiao said the TV news team flew to Mindanao on Saturday on the invitation of Mindanao State University Professor Octavio Dinampo "to cover a special event."

Drilon was to interview the Abu Sayyaf, Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon told INQUIRER.net.

Goltiao said that Dinmapo picked up Drilon and her crew from a university hostel and that armed men, identified as being under Parad's command, intercepted them as their vehicle passed through Kulasi village.

"Along the way in Kulasi, Maimbung, Sulu, they were intercepted by an armed group and now they are held in captivity,” said Goltiao. He said the group was brought to Indanan town in Sulu.

He initially identified the abductors as Albader Parad, an Abu Sayyaf member, and Gapur Jundain, a former member of the erstwhile separatist Moro National Liberation Front who recently joined the extremist group.

"We are closely monitoring with ABS-CBN as well as the military commander and the PNP Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Regional director," said Razon.

"We are assisting them for the safe return of Ces that's why we don't highlight the situation," he added, noting that they had no idea yet of Drilon's whereabouts.

Goltiao said ABS-CBN management would not say why Drilon and her crew went to Sulu. He added, “Outsiders must coordinate with police for security."

Goltiao said officials of the airplane Drilon and her team boarded had offered her security but the broadcast journalist refused, citing the "confidentiality" of the trip.

Goltiao said he was not aware of any ransom demand. He said he was trying to reach ABS-CBN in Manila for more details.

The ABS-CBN statement said, “Until we learn more details, ABS-CBN News requests other media to report on this matter with utmost consideration for the safety of our news team. ABS-CBN News is in touch with the families, and asks that their privacy be respected.”

The Abu Sayyaf is estimated to have 380 fighters, compared with more than 1,000 eight years ago. It has been weakened by US-backed military offensives that have led to the killing and capture of many of its leaders and members.

Police say the militants have continued to plot attacks, including against US soldiers who have been giving counterterrorism training to Filipino troops in Jolo and nearby provinces.

Washington has blacklisted Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist group for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings, such as the 2001 abduction from a resort island of 21 people who included three Americans.

Philippine military and police officials say the group has received training and funds from al-Qaeda militants in the past.


bilis ng karma:lol:

[FerrariLover]

THIS TV STATION REALLY SUCKS:ohno:

[venntro]

Kidnappers of ABS-CBN crew give extension
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122014


The kidnappers of ABS-CBN reporter Ces Drilon and her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion have given an indefinite extension on talks for their captives' release, the son of the crisis negotiator said.

Jun Isnaji, son of Indanan town Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, told reporters at a press conference in Sulu that the kidnappers have agreed to continue the negotiations for the release of Drilon and her cameraman. He said the abductors have also promised not to harm their captives.

The kidnappers had earlier said that they are giving the families of the victim until Tuesday noon to deliver a P15-million ransom.

The young Isnaji said the kidnappers had threatened to behead the victims. He, however, said the kidnappers had changed their minds and promised not to hurt Drilon, Encarnacion and Mindanao peace advocate Prof. Octavio Dinampo, who served as guide to Drilon's news crew in Sulu.

He said negotiators are also discussing alternatives to ransom in the form of livelihood project.

The families of Drilon and Encarnacion earlier pleaded with members of the Abu Sayyaf to free their captives.

"We're doing everything to get them free, but you must understand that we do have some limitations," Grech Oreña said over local radio on the southern island of Jolo, where her 46-year-old sister has been held captive for over a week.

The 15-year old daughter of Encarnacion also appealed for compassion.

"We need our father," Joy Encarnacion said. "We don't know where to get money for our school."

The three-person TV crew of Drilon, Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama and their guide, university professor Octavio Dinampo, were kidnapped over a week ago. Valderama was released last week.

Drilon's employer, ABS-CBN, has repeatedly said it would not pay a ransom and disputed comments from Alvarez, who said the station was not giving the families any support.

"We are saddened and troubled by accusations that ABS-CBN has abandoned Ces and Jimmy," the network said in a statement. "ABS-CBN is doing everything it can to help them and their families through this harrowing ordeal."

On Monday, the government P500,000 bounty for two Abu Sayyaf leaders held responsible for the kidnapping.

[venntro]

Ces: 'Words are not enough to thank those who prayed for us' (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122112)


ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Drilon on Wednesday thanked all those who helped secure her release and two others late Tuesday night in Sulu.

"I want to thank everybody. Words are not enough to thank those who prayed for the professor, Jimmy, Angel, and myself," Drilon told reporters in Sulu before boarding a military chopper bound for Zamboanga City.

Asked how she felt, Drilon said: "Siyempre, masayang masaya (Of course, very happy)."

Senator Loren Legarda helped negotiate the release of Drilon, cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and their guide Prof. Octavio Dinampo of the Mindanao State University late Tuesday night. Assistant camerman Angel Valderama was freed June 12.

They were all kidnapped by armed men, believed by authorities to be members of the Abu Sayyaf terror group, last June 8.

Drilon, wearing a white T-shirt and white jogging pants, looked tired and may have lost weight from their nine-day ordeal in the hinterlands of Sulu. She also had mosquito bites on her face.

"Giant ang lamok doon," she said.

Drilon and her companions were immediately brought from Sulu to Zamboanga City by military helicopter.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Avelino Razon told dzMM Wednesday that Drilon and her companions underwent medical exam in Zamboanga City.

Doctors said Drilon was suffering from low blood pressure, presumably due to lack of sleep, and had many mosquito bites.

Razon said the Abu Sayyaf Group which the ABS-CBN crew tried to interview was the same group that kidnapped them.

He said Drilon was not hurt by her captors, contrary to earlier reports. He also said no ransom was paid.

Razon said the kidnappers threatened to behead their captives but this was not carried out.

He said the release of the ABS-CBN news team and their guide was due to the work of the negotiators and the "pressure of possible police-miltiary operations."

Loren helps

Legarda, a former ABS-CBN broadcaster, worked behind the scenes to help free the ABS-CBN crew and Dinampo, a Mindanao peace advocate.

"I just talked with Ces now. Ces is free, she is resting, and she will soon be in the hands of her family," Legarda told radio station DZMM early Wednesday morning.

Legarda said Drilon and her companions had to walk five hours before they were picked up by authorities and brought to the house of Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji.

She said the military operations conducted by the Philippine military helped put pressure on the kidnappers to release their captives.

On Sunday, the military shelled rebel positions on Jolo but denied that the operation had anything to do with the kidnapping.

In a statement dated June 17, 11 pm, the families of the three ABS-CBN TV crew thanked Legarda, local officials of Sulu, and police and military officials for helping free the ABS-CBN team.

"There are people who gave us timely and valuable advice as we grappled with ways to secure the release of Ces, Jimmy, and Angelo. They wish to remain anonymous, but they know how eternally grateful we are to all of them," the families said, in a joint statement released by ABS-CBN corporate communications.

"Above all, the release of Ces, Jimmy, and Angelo could not have been possible without the help of Senator Loren Legarda and the cooperation of the people of Sulu and their local government namely Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and Vice Governor Lady Ann Sahidullah. We thank them and share their hope for enduring peace in Mindanao," it said.

"For their invaluable assistance, we thank Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno; National Police chief Avelino Razon Jr.; officials of the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) led by Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina and Senior Supt. Edgardo Iglesia and the PNP Intelligence Group led by Chief Supt. Rolando Anonuevo and Supt. Winnie Quidato; the Marines based in Sulu led Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban," it said.

Legarda said Drilon kept promising to give P15 million or P20 million to the kidnappers, but when they "realized they wouldn't get anything and when they felt the [military] pressure," they decided to release their captives.

Legarda said Drilon thought she would die in captivity and asked to help get her released. "You are my lifeline," she quoted Drilon as having told her.

Legarda said she coordinated her effort in securing Drilon's release with ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs executives Maria Ressa and Charie Villa.

She said she did not promise the young kidnappers anything, but she told them she knew their parents.

DZMM Correspondent Noel Alamar reported that the turn over was done around 11 pm in Barangay Kagay, Talipao.

They were held for nine days by an armed group believed to be Abu Sayyaf bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu island.

"Nandoon po sila sa sa bahay ni [Indanan] Mayor [Alvarez] Isnaji," Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said in an earlier interview over DZMM.

"Sila ay dadalhin dito sa Zamboanga [City] kung saan po ay mag-uundergo sila ng medical check up at pagkatapos po niyan ay isang debriefing para malaman po natin sa kanila directly kung anong nangyari," he added.

There were reports that the armed group kept the captives in the bandits’ lairs in Maimbung and Indanan towns.

The kidnappers initially released ABS-CBN assistant cameraman Angelo Valderama on June 12. He was released by to Jun Isnaji, son of Mayor Isnaji.

Mayor Isnaji, a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader whom the kidnappers agreed to be an emissary, said the kidnappers contacted him through their mobile phones. The negotiating team was led by Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and Vice-Governor Hadja Nur Ana Sahidullah.

When asked if they are going to pursue the kidnap group, Razon said they will have to get more information from the former captives to get a better idea on the identities of the suspects.

"Atin pong titignan po matapos nating madebrief sina Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion at Prof. Dimampo para lalong pagtibayin ang ebidensya na hawak sa grupong ito," he said.

He added that the PNP will maintain it heightened alert on the area until such time the alert is no longer needed.

"Magpapatuloy po muna… at iyan ay ating a-assessin po kung kelangang manatiling ganun," he said.

Razon said the three will be brought to the Jolo provincial hospital for a medical check-up before flying to Zamboanga City for a debriefing. -- with reports from Noel Alamar, DZMM; Jay Ruiz, TV Patrol; Reuters

[RonnieR]

All of a sudden, Sen. Legarda came out, politics?

[venntro]

Drilon says 'betrayal' led to Sulu abduction (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122140)

In tears after their nine-day ordeal in the hinterlands of Sulu province, ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Drilon said Wednesday that she and her news crew were betrayed and that was the reason they were kidnapped in Indanan town on June 8.

"There was betrayal involved kaya kami na-kidnap,” she said, but did not elaborate.

Drilon's statement came as Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son, Haider, were flown by police from Mindanao for questioning at the national headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon Jr. told a press conference in Zamboanga City that Isnaji is not yet a suspect. He, however, confirmed that the mayor and his son were being debriefed.

He added that the PNP has started collating results of the debriefing conducted on Drilon’s crew and professor Octavio Dinampo to get the “big picture” of the latest terrorist abduction in Mindanao.

“That is what we are determining from the debriefing. We will integrate all these reports. Merge them and get the bigger picture of what really happened,” Razon said.

He also confirmed Drilon's statement that there was a betrayal prior to the abduction.

Drilon and cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderma were supposed to interview an Abu Sayyaf personality in Sulu, when they were kidnapped.

Dinampo, a peace advocate, was serving as the television crew's guide.

Dinampo not a suspect; Isnajis, not yet

Razon said police investigators have finished debriefing the four kidnap victims, who were separately interviewed by the probers.

The police official clarified that Dinampo was never treated as a suspect. “Siya ay kasama sa mga victims,” he said.

Asked if Isnaji and his son are being treated as suspects, Razon said “not at this point in time.”

He said the Isnajis are also going through the same debriefing process in Manila.

Drilon had publicly thanked the Isnaji for his efforts that were instrumental for their release.

Hunt for unknown abductors

Razon announced that even as probers have yet to determine the identities of the abductors, members of the military’s Task Force Comet and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police have launched pursuit operations against the suspects.

The police chief said the abductors are Abu Sayyaf members. He added that the two suspects -- Sulayman Patta alias Abu Harris and Walid alias Tuan Wals – are members of the bandit group.

A P500,000 reward each for the two identified suspects have been offered by the PNP.

Razon said the pieces of evidence and the results of the debriefing on the victims will be used by policemen to identify and arrest the abductors.

The PNP had earlier announced that kidnapping charges were being readied against Patta and Sulayman and several John Does.

Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, PNP spokesman, said more than 10 personalities are being validated for possible inclusion in the charge sheet.

[espresso1018]

Thank God Drilon and her crew were finally released by the Abu Sayaff. Thanks to Mayor Isnaji for being the main negotiator for the final resolution of this kidnapping incident. Congratulations to all who were part of the crisis committee.

I just wonder about the sudden entry of Loren Legarda into the picture. Yes nondisclosure of sensitive facts regarding negotiations is important but I was just surprised to know that Loren had a part. I hope there is truth in what is proclaimed that no ransom was paid. As far as the government is concerned the no-ransom policy is and will always be in force.

[absinthe_888]

Need for ransom denials, but...

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/5241/naiabo9.jpg
06/19/2008
http://tribune.net.ph/commentary/20080619com1.html

Everyone is relieved and happy that ABS-CBN broadcaster Ces Oreña-Drilon, her cameraman, Jimmy Encarnacion, and their guide, Mindanao State University professor, Octavio Dinampo, are now out of the clutches of their Abu Sayyaf abductors, safe and sound. And everyone hopes this experience they underwent will not bring about a serious emotional trauma for them in the days to come.

That having been said, negotiators and government officials should stop insulting the intelligence of the Filipino with claims that no ransom was paid since the kidnappers, so they said, accepted the alternative of being given livelihood projects instead.

One can understand the denials of ransom of some P15 to 20 million having been paid to the Abu Sayyaf abductors by those involved in the negotiations. To publicly admit that ransom was paid would open the floodgates to more kidnappings of media personalities and other celebrities, with even higher ransom demands, placing other lives in more danger.

Not one of them — whether it is the ABS-CBN management or the police and military, or even the negotiators — is expected to publicly admit that indeed, ransom was paid to save the hostages’ life.

But to claim the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) that kidnapped Drilon and company had released the hostages for livelihood projects or out of their good heart really strains credulity.

In the first place, these ASG gunmen committed the crime of kidnapping with ransom and by rights, the government authorities are duty bound to capture them and bring them to justice.

It follows then that the claimed livelihood projects could not possibly been offered or given to these bandits, nor would this proposal have been accepted by the bandits.

Just to whom will the government grant the livelihood projects? To the kidnappers who are surely wanted by the government?

Surely, the authorities do not expect Drilon’s kidnappers to come forward and claim their “livelihood projects” knowing that not only will they nabbed, but also killed.

The fact that the released hostages had to walk from their dwellings for five whole hours before they were met by authorities and negotiators, was already a clear indication of the ASG captors’ move to escape from the government forces. Five hours would give them more than sufficient time to hie off, with the ransom money, to another bandit lair for safety.

This has been the style of the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, whether it is the Italian priest Fr. Bossi or the Sipadan hostages, or the Palawan Dos Palmas and Lamitan hostages, or anyone else held hostage by these Islamic bandits, with the same story of their suddenly being left by themselves by their kidnappers and where they made their escape by walking for miles and miles, and then suddenly met by a group that brings them to safety. This is always the style, repeated over and over again.

It was evident that, with the deadline for the ransom money set for Tuesday given before its expiry, the ransom had to be delivered, which explains the presence of a SeaAir plane landing in Jolo, with the pick-up of Sulu Vice Gov. Lady Ann Sahidulla by its side, and a still unidentified person carrying two duffel bags, obviously containing the ransom money.

Another indication that the ransom was delivered to the bandits at the specified deadline set by the ASG was when Hainer, the son of negotiator Indanan mayor, Isnaji Alvarez, told media that the bandits had agreed to an indefinite extension for negotiations, which is yet another silly line.

Why would there be an indefinite extension for negotiations, and shortly after their having threatened to behead the hostages? For the livelihood projects claimed to have been offered? Why bother with an indefinite time for negotiations of the release of Drilon and company?

But that was obviously claimed by the runner and negotiator after the ransom demand was already met and as they were not about to admit that the hostages were already being readied for release, they had to come up with that silly line of an indefinite extension.

In time, the ASG abductors, who have been identified will be killed, perhaps in a firefight with government troops.

Justice will have been done.

[venntro]

Mayor Isnaji faces kidnap raps (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122263)

Kidnap-for-ransom charges will be filed by the police against Mayor Alvarez Isnaji of Indanan, Sulu, for his alleged involvement in the abduction of Mindanao peace advocate Octavio Dinampo and the ABS-CBN News team led by senior correspondent Ces Drilon.

Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, announced at a press conference in Camp Crame that the charges will be filed Thursday. The mayor is also due for inquest proceedings later in the day, he said.

Razon said 14 other suspects, whom he said are members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, will also be charged with kidnapping.

He said Isnaji's son, Haider, is also being investigated for possible involvement. He added that other people, including Dinampo, the news team's contact person in Sulu, are still being questioned about the kidnapping.

Others taken into custody for questioning were Juamil Biyaw, a former member of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the driver who brought Drilon's team and Dinampo to Barangay Adjid in Indanan town on June 8.

Drilon and her team were supposed to interview a high-ranking bandit leader when they were kidnapped by alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf.

The news team, including cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion, were released by the kidnappers late Tuesday night in Talipao town. Cameraman Angelo Valderama was freed on June 12 in Talipao town.

Razon also announced that the PNP is investigating reports about the alleged unloading of two duffle bags full of money from an aircraft that landed at the Jolo airport in Sulu hours before the release of Drilon's team and Dinampo.

Reports said the aircraft, a Seair special flight, landed on the Jolo National Airport from Zamboanga City around 4 p.m. Tuesday. A lawyer who carried two duffle bags was allegedly met by another son of the Indanan town mayor in a pick-up near the aircraft. The truck is allegedly owned by Sulu Vice-Gov. Lady Ann Sahidulla.

Razon said a lawyer identified as a certain Nasser Inawad had been invited for questioning regarding the special flight. Reports said the duffle bags contained money supposedly intended for the ransom.

Isnaji's inconsistencies

At the press conference, Razon reiterated that the mayor was placed under arrest for allegedly making inconsistent statements during debriefing at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters at the police camp in Quezon City.

The mayor and his son were brought to the police camp in Manila on Wednesday while the television news team and Dinampo were being debriefed in Zamboanga City.

Razon initially said the mayor and the son were not suspects in the latest Abu Sayyaf kidnapping.

Chief Superintendent Raul Castañeda, CIDG director, told ANC's "News at 8" earlier Thursday that policemen who were "at the crime area" in Sulu debunked the statements made by Isnaji during the debriefing.

"Based on the evaluation of our investigators... There are so many inconsistencies on the debriefing made on the mayor. We have officers who debunked his statements. [The officers] were at the crime area when [the kidnapping] was going on," he said.

The police official declined to specify the inconsistencies made by the father. He said Haider also made inconsistent statements during debriefing.

The arrest was made even as Drilon and her employer, ABS-CBN, thanked Isnaji for his efforts to save the news team from the kidnappers.

Isnaji personally fetched Drilon, Encarnacion, and Dinampo from an undisclosed place in Talipao after the release. He also brought the three to his home in Indanan town before turning them over to the military.

Haider, meanwhile, was the one who fetched Valderama on June 12.

Isnaji confirmed that P100,000 was paid as "board and lodging" fee for Valderama. Reports, meanwnhile, said that Drilon and the other victims were released after the kidnappers agreed to receive livelihood projects from the government.

Dinampo's turn to rescue Isnaji

Dinampo, a peace advocate and professor of the Mindanao State University, came into the defense of Isnaji after learning that the mayor had been arrested.

Dinampo vouched for the credibility of the mayor, saying the allegation against the Isnajis have no basis.

"There was no basis. Isnaji was someone the negotiators trust since Sahidulla was rejected," said Dinampo.

The professor added that he could not say whether he was betrayed according to Drilon's suspicion.

Asked about his ordeal, Dinampo said he was "not hogtied maybe because he was praying with them (kidnappers)." But at one point, he said, a gun was pointed at him.

Dinampo also clarified that the military is not holding him against his will, saying he just needed some time to rest.

The professor made this clear after his group, the peace advocate Mindanao People's Caucus, voiced its concerns for his continued debriefing at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City.

[venntro]

'Isnaji pocketed much of P5-M ransom' (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=122401)

Mayor Alvarez Isnaji of Indanan, Sulu pocketed much of the the P5-million ransom for the release of an abducted ABS-CBN news team led by Ces Drilon and their guide, Mindanao peace advocate Octavio Dinampo.

Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Philippine National Police chief, said Isnaji "kept to himself" P3-million and paid the kidnappers of the news team and the peace advocate P2 million.

Razon said the money was produced by the family of the television journalist.

The police official also showed two pictures to the media at a press conference in Camp Crame, Quezon City. The pictures showed Isnaji, his son, Haider, Sulu Vice-Governor Lady Ann Sahidulla gathered around the P5-million ransom.

Also in the pictures was Senior Superintendent Willy Quidato of the PNP-Intelligence Group, whom Razon said was sent to Sulu on a covert operation in connection with the kidnapping.

He said Quidato was sent to Sulu after local police sources said the leader of the kidnap group was a certain "Larin-Larin."

"Larin-Larin is the alias of Mayor Isnaji," Razon said.

Isnaji and his son have been charged with kidnapping. They are currently detained at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

[spearhead]

'Media ethics and professionalism keys to survival of RP journalism'
JOHANNA CAMILLE SISANTE, GMANews.TV
07/08/2008 | 03:45 PM

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/105735/Media-ethics-and-professionalism-keys-to-survival-of-RP-journalism

“We should not just cover the community we serve but also serve the community we cover."

These are the words of Pachico Seares – lawyer, professor, and pioneering community journalist – who on July 4, 2008, was awarded the prestigious Gawad Plaridel Award for outstanding media practitioners by the University of the Philippines.

Past recipients of the award include media icons, such as press freedom fighter Eugenia Duran-Apostol, award-winning actress Vilma Santos, popular radio host Fidela “Tiya Dely" Magpayo, and broadcast journalist Cecilia “Cheche" Lazaro.

It was the first time that a Gawad Plaridel, an annual award named after the nom de plume of Filipino hero and writer Marcelo Del Pilar, was granted to a media practitioner based outside Metro Manila.

Seares is editor-in-chief of Cebu’s leading newspaper, Sun.Star-Cebu, a content partner of GMANews.TV, as well as its Cebuano counterpart, Sun.Star Superbalita in Cebu. Seares also belongs to several media organizations that uphold professionalism and press freedom.

“Pachico has redefined the contours of Cebu’s media landscape, and to a large extent also the community press of the nation," said the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication that nominated Seares for the award.

Community journalism in the country is beset by a tremendous amount of problems, Seares said in his lecture titled “The Future of Community Newspapers.".

'Vicious cycle'

The Sun.Star example has proven, however, that a community paper can achieve both prestige and profitability.

The Sun.Star network today has 12 newspapers and online publications in various regions of the country: Manila, Baguio, Pangasinan, Pampanga in Luzon; Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo and Dumaguete in the Visayas; and Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga City in Mindanao.

Sun.Star-Cebu is the “mother publication" and enjoys the province’s largest readership and advertising share. But it wasn’t always the success it is now, said Seares. At the time of its foundation in 1982, Sun.Star was plagued with several problems that most community papers in the country experience to this day.

“Community journalists are hardy and pragmatic," said Seares. “They have gone through problems of lack of equipment, inadequate training, financial woes, and a lukewarm market."

“Standards and values were often sacrificed…to get the paper out, to make enough money for the next issue," he said, adding that in most cases community newspapers are understaffed and underpaid.

These problems often translate to poor sales leading to the closing of publications, sloppy journalism leading to libel suits, and corruption, which Seares said is especially rampant during elections when politicians are eager to feed on the papers’ lack of funding.

Running a community paper tends to become a “vicious cycle," he said, even as corruption “holds local journalists in tighter grips of professional decay."

“The dilemma of community newspapers is how to improve standards," said Seares. “And at the same time struggle for survival," he said.

Then there are the “threats" faced not just by community newspapers but by print media in general.

“It is not only community newspapers that worry about the problem of dwindling circulation, diminishing credibility, and the increasing threat from the new media," he said.

The strength of the community newspaper, however, lies in its very nature - it has a specific audience with whom it can connect with on a more personal level. And this is what Sun.Star aimed for, Seares said.

New media

“Kinship with community is the community papers’ major strength," said Seares. “The paper carries stories about people in the community and how events affect them."

It is this bond which beats competition both from traditional print as well as the new media, he said, adding that the advent of the Internet has initially made things difficult, particularly for community papers that are still struggling in the old tradition.

“Many community publishers just ignore the new media and focus on the problem at hand," he said.

The Sun.Star Network, however, has gradually learned to embrace the new media. Its Dumaguete, Manila , Pangasinan, and Zamboanga publications are online, and can be accessed through network's website sunstar.com.ph. The site gets around 2.5 million unique visits a month, said Seares.

Technological developments and outside assistance have also helped the community press improve itself, said Seares.

New software and utilization of laptops and digital cameras have made publishing easier. Formal training from media institutions such as the Philippine Press Institute and the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility have generated changes in the papers’ look and content.

Seares said the network also dabbles with “new ideas" such as civic journalism, preventive journalism, peace and conflict journalism, and conscience journalism.

But the glue that holds Sun.Star together, said Seares, is the policy that they must always practice good journalism.

The Gawad Plaridel awardee said seeking clarity, maintaining fairness and objectivity, and refusing to be “puppets" are some of their "best practices."

“The closest media can get to the elusive truth is to get the facts right," he said. “Truth, how can you capture truth? But at least you can get the facts right."

Press freedom

The Garcia-owned Sun.Star-Cebu has occasionally come under fire, just like all media institutions. At one point it was called a “Marcos crony newspaper" and a “Garcia propaganda sheet."

Seares, however, said these assaults on the paper's credibility have not dented its readership.

Credibility is what the newspaper is fiercely trying to protect. It makes itself accountable to the public by welcoming replies and comments from readers, Seares said. He himself is a founding member of the Cebu Citizens-Press Council, which mediates complaints and correction of factual errors, keeps track of media threats, and even produces short documentaries on journalists’ experiences in Cebu .

“Good journalism is good business, I always say," said Seares, adding that at the same time, profitability gives them independence because they can afford not to rely on advertisers.

“Good journalism can help prevent the filing of abrasive libel suits and the murder of journalists," he added.

Sun.Star Cebu will celebrate Press Freedom Week on September. Seares said it is the time for citizens to be reminded that press freedom should always be protected – that as shown during the Martial Law era, press freedom is key to all other freedoms. The issue is especially relevant to the community press. The bulk of journalist killings in the country, after all, come from it, he said.

Seares believes that the press he has helped establish over the last few decades will flourish as long as journalists stand by the professional and ethical principles of journalism and continue the fight for press freedom. - GMANews.TV

[odyssey]

National Press Club Sunk Low, hit rock bottom. If there are thieves inside the NPC, could it be that the press is also up for sale to highest bidder regardless of the veracity of the news


The press club’s tainted image
To The Point: Emil Jurado
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=emilJurado_july30_2008


I wanted to laugh but could not when I read National Press Club officials claiming that the case of theft, which was later on revised to estafa filed before a Manila Regional Trial Court against the club’s board members for the sale of a Vicente Manansala mural for P10 million, was a “suppression of press freedom.”

Santa Banana, since when is theft or estafa a suppression of press freedom? That’s the reason why I could not laugh. How ludicrous can board members of the press club be equating the two?

Obviously, some directors of the press club don’t know what press freedom is, or are so ignorant of what it is all about. As a professional mediaman and even as a lifetime member of the club, I bow my head in utter shame and embarrassment. Santa Banana!

***

Let’s go back to basics and find out how the National Press Club has sunk so low that directors are now accused of a crime.

If I may digress a bit, the club was my favorite hangout when I was still with the defunct Philippines Herald. I recall that at one time, the club’s grand piano was stolen right before the very eyes of club members.

It’s one for “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not” since some people pretending to be piano repairmen simply brought down the grand piano, not through the stairs or elevator since it was big, but hauled it down from the fourth floor by means of a rope.

There was also a time when four window air conditioners disappeared. Just how, club members never found out.

Now, it’s a P10-million mural. Everybody knows how it was sold and by whom. What members are clueless about, however, is just where the P10 million is. Directors claim the money is intact, but they are not showing where and how much is left of it to their members.

***

The core of the suit is this: Who owns that Manansala mural in a lawanit attached to a club wall?

I will not go to the history of how the NPC was built and who owns the land and the building. That’s a long story. Rather, I’ll begin at that time when the city government of Manila wanted to attach the building for non-payment of taxes for years and years on end. GSIS came to the rescue and paid for all the club taxes. Thus, its ownership was taken over by the GSIS.

Lawyer Jesus Santos, GSIS trustee and chairman of the oversight committee on legal affairs, said that the GSIS also claimed ownership of everything attached to the building. Nobody questioned it.

Thus, when officials and directors of the club sold the Manansala painting through a broker (nobody knows who the real buyer was), the GSIS considered it as theft since it was done without the consent of the building owner.

This is where the issue of ownership comes in. The club directors claim that the mural is the club’s own to be sold. It’s now up to the court to decide who really owns the mural.

***

Just how the press club’s image has deteriorated over the years is yet another thing. As a mediaman of long standing, having seen the press club since its beginnings in the early 1950s, I also blame us, professional journalists like me, for allowing the club to be run mostly by “hao shiao” or bogus newsmen.

As I said, I share the blame because we stopped going to the club and even attending elections where bogus newsmen got elected. Why, they had the funds to pay the membership fees of so-called journalists.

Why do I categorize some directors of the club as bogus? Simply because they are not the real honest-to-goodness media people belonging to respectable newspapers and broadcast media. Respectable and professional journalists have since joined other media organizations.

Santa Banana, at times, during elections of the club, the losers accuse the winners of fraud. And yet, these are very same people accusing politicians of frauds during election time.

My gulay, at times, because of the club’s tainted image, the President hesitates to attend the traditional Gridiron Night where the press is supposed to lampoon the President and her Cabinet.

[aseantimes]

[Video] Philippines - Baguio City

http://www.aseantimes.com/home/2008/08/08/philippines-baguio-city/

:cheers:

[RonnieR]

MANILA, Philippines—Despite the infusion of capital by a Malaysian corporation, ABC 5 — now called TV5 — remains a Filipino TV station, according to new network boss Christopher Sy.

ABC 5 chief operating officer Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco recently entered into a long-term block airtime agreement with MPB Primedia Inc., a local subsidiary of the Malaysian conglomerate Media Prima Berhad.

The block airtime agreement meant that Primedia bought “all available airtime” from ABC 5, a network insider explained.

Under Primedia, TV5 aims to air “innovative, relevant and spirited” programs, according to Sy, Primedia’s CEO.

“This is a local TV station and should be locally run,” Sy declared. “The Malaysians have left all the decision-making to the team, which is entirely local. TV5 has nothing Malaysian about it.”

Sy added that with the channel’s new programming came the need for the network to change its brand name. The network had been known as Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC) 5 since 1992.

“The re-branding was necessary to more effectively communicate these changes to the public,” Sy said. “We’re going to be very different from the old ABC 5. The new name, new look and new logo were very deliberate.”

The young network boss gave Inquirer Entertainment an interview last week, answering questions on TV5’s block-timing contract and target market, and its spanking new 120kw transmitter.

[red_jasper]

Arroyo cites media role, but hits gossipy headlines

By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:58:00 08/29/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Long critical of the way the press has been reporting on her administration, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has taken a dig at her tormentors in the media.

Speaking on Wednesday at the 100th anniversary celebration of the Philippines Free Press magazine, Ms Arroyo said journalists were “critical to maintaining our strong democracy.” But she also had sharp words for some media practitioners.

Quoting Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., son of the late Free Press publisher and editor, Ms Arroyo said the press “can reveal, can conceal.”

“In the words of (the late, crusading US publisher) Joseph Pulitzer: ‘A cynical, mercenary, demagogic press will produce in time a people as base as itself.’”

“These are words of great precautionary value to those who seek shelter under the freedoms advanced by ... Pulitzer and Locsin, but disdain the concurrent responsibilities on their part to be disinterested and public spirited.”

“Freedom in the hands of (those) who want the freedom without the responsibility degenerates into a callous license to aspire to little more than gossipy headlines and inflated circulation numbers, no matter what cost must be paid in the debasement of public discourse.”

Full story here (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080829-157506/Arroyo-cites-media-role-but-hits-gossipy-headlines)

[icarusrising]

Palace questions low RP ranking on press freedom (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20081025125)

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Malacañang questioned yesterday the basis for the drop in the Philippines’ press freedom ranking, saying that it was more a product of perception than reality.

The Philippines dropped 11 notches this year in the annual press freedom ranking of the Reporters Without Borders report.

In its Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2008, the Philippines ranked 139th this year in a list of 173 countries, down from 128th in 2007.

Presidential Management Staff director general Cerge Remonde expressed disappointment over the report, arguing that evaluating press freedom in the Philippines could be done simply by monitoring what comes out daily in the newspapers, television and radio media.

He said that those behind the ranking of countries could easily see that the Philippines has an “aggressive and very free press just by monitoring the news.”

“There is not one day that was created by God that the (Philippine) government is not being criticized more than any government as freely as it’s being criticized rightfully or wrongfully here in the Philippines,” Remonde said over state-run dzRB.

Based on the report of the organization, the bottom ranking countries were mostly from Asia and were classified as dictatorships.

The Philippines has failed to perform well in the organization’s rankings because in 2006, it placed as low as 142nd on the list.

But Remonde said that the government would continue to find ways to change the perception of the organization and hopefully, improve its ranking.

“Being from media myself, I’m very sad about that and I think the government will do its part to improve our ranking. But the truth is, this is more perception than reality,” he said.

Remonde used to serve as head of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas.

President Arroyo occasionally talks about the Philippines “having a very free press” and how this has painted her in a bad light.

Even though she complained of being treated unfairly in the media, the President accepted that freedom of the press as part of democracy.

The President said that the Philippines has the most liberal press in the region. – Marvin Sy

[nostalgicbabe]

Palace questions low RP ranking on press freedom (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20081025125)

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Malacañang questioned yesterday the basis for the drop in the Philippines’ press freedom ranking, saying that it was more a product of perception than reality.

The Philippines dropped 11 notches this year in the annual press freedom ranking of the Reporters Without Borders report.


I do think that the ranking of the Philippines is unfair and very biased. I doubt that most of those countries who ranked higher have a "freer" media than ours.

[Igsuonnimo]

Murdoch: Newspapers not a dying breed
Updated November 18, 2008 12:00 AM


SYDNEY, Australia – Rupert Murdoch, whose global media empire spans newspapers, satellite television and the Internet, says reports that newspapers are a dying breed are wrong.

Newspaper companies in the United States and elsewhere are facing fundamental changes to their businesses as more people get their news from the Internet and other sources, and advertisers follow the market away from the paper-and-ink format.

Murdoch, the Australian-born chairman and chief executive of News Corp., said in a speech broadcast Sunday titled “The Future of Newspapers: Moving Beyond Dead Trees” that the Internet offered opportunities as well as challenges.

“Too many journalists seem to take a perverse pleasure in ruminating on their pending demise,” Murdoch said in a speech, recorded in the United States and relayed nationally by the Australian Broadcasting Corp. It was the latest in an annual ABC series of lectures by a prominent Australian.

“Unlike the doom and gloomers, I believe that newspapers will reach new heights” in the 21st century, Murdoch said.

Murdoch grew a small city newspaper he inherited in 1953 into one of the world’s largest media conglomerates that now includes 20th Century Fox, Fox News Channel and Sky Broadcasting, Dow Jones & Co. and the online networking site MySpace.

He said people now were “hungrier for information that ever before” and that papers have an edge over bloggers and other newcomers because they are more trusted by readers.

“I like the look and feel of newsprint as much as anyone,” Murdoch said. “But our real business isn’t printing on dead trees. It’s giving our readers great journalism and great judgment.”

He cited two of his most prestigious newspapers, The Times of London and The Wall Street Journal, as examples of how newspaper brands can win large online readerships.

But he stressed that even these papers must recognize that online customers will decide what news they want and how it is delivered.

“To compete today, you can’t offer the old one-size-fits-all approach to news,” Murdoch said. “The challenge is to use a newspaper’s brand while allowing readers to personalize the news for themselves and then deliver it in the ways that they want.” – AP

[kiretoce]

Reporters at risk (http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2009/1/24/reporters-at-risk)

Reporting on local radio can be a deadly business in the Philippines. More journalists from this media are killed here than anywhere else in the world.

This year's first casualty was 38-year-old Badroddin Abbas, who hosted a talk-radio programme in the southern city of Cotabato, an edgy place at the best of times. He was shot in the head by gunmen who waylaid his car on Wednesday night.

In the previous month, two radio journalists, Leo Mila, 35, and Arecio Padrigao, 52, were gunned down in separate killings in other parts of the country. Mr Padrigao was reportedly shot while dropping his seven-year-old daughter off at school.

Eight journalists were killed in the Philippines last year. According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Mr Abbas was the 63rd journalist killed since President Gloria Arroyo came to power in 2001. That 's just over half the total number of slain journalists since the fall of the Marcos regime in 1986.

International journalists' groups have long ranked the Philippines as one of the most dangerous countries for members of the media after Iraq.

But the danger here is in a different line of fire: Many of the slain Filipino journalists were radio broadcasters from small provincial towns, who had fatally tangled with local politicians, corrupt officials or crime bosses.

While the Philippines has a free and vibrant media, it is among a group of nations that include Pakistan, Mexico, Columbia where journalists become targets if they cross powerful interests.

In Manila and other big cities, lawyers are generally used to silence annoying reporters with the threat of writs. But in the provinces, where local strongmen run their own armed groups and the law has less reach, hired guns are preferred if warnings don't work.

"You can say what you like about President Arroyo and the government, but not local politicians," says veteran journalist Joel Torres. "In the provinces, everything is taken much more personally."

Not surprisingly, some journalists carry guns here.

With elections looming in 2010, and political violence traditionally escalates over these periods, media-watch organisations fear attacks on journalists will escalate.

Some blame the high death toll during President Arroyo's watch on the same "climate of impunity" in which large numbers of left-wing activists have been murdered. There have been accusations that elements in the military were involved.

The death toll in those killings has fallen sharply over the past year. A clamour of protests from foreign governments and rights groups galvanised the administration into probing the attacks on activists with the above-ground left.

Over the years, Filipino journalists have paid with their lives for exposing illegal logging, smuggling and town-hall corruption. The gunman, usually on a motorbike, is rarely unexpected; most victims get death threats and warnings to stop.

Many of the slain Filipino radio broadcasters - including Mr Abbas, according to reports - were "block timers," commentators who buy air time from radio stations. Their shows are often brash and confrontational. As local newspaper editorials wearily point out after every practically every murder, that's no justification for having them killed.

Shortly after Mr Mila's murder, I asked one of his colleagues at a sister station why he had ignored death threats, reportedly for exposing corruption in the town of San Roque. "He did it out of principle," she replied. "I do commentaries, but you have to be careful."

There have only been a handfull of successful convictions in the murders of journalists. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists says the Philippines and Russia have particulalry poor records in solving these killings.

Witnesses are often too frightened to testify, fearing retribution from the hidden hands behind the murders (a major obstacle, too, in prosecuting members of drug syndicates).

But there is a sense among some local journalists that more is now being done to investigate these unsolved murders, which get noticed overseas.

In 2007, President Arroyo set up Task Force 211, an agency under the Department of Justice. to investigate and prosecute cases involving extra-judicial killings, including those of journalists. The latest data, from this month, show 263 cases have been investigated, with 37 going to trial. The rest had either been dismissed, gone cold, are under investigation or the accused, as in 70 cases, are still at large.

There is no specific breakdown for journalists. But the progress of each case can be tracked on Task Force 211's website (www.taskforce211.com.ph). It names the victim and the respondent/accused as well as the current status of each case.

Still, more high-profile convictions of those ordering the killings - and not just the hired gunmen - are sorely needed.

[neyoneyo80]

bM0FbtdvPZw

[diz]

lol

[bitoy]

:lol::lol:

[venntro]

Imminent passage of bill regulating media to benefit 2010 candidates (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/02/09/09/imminent-passage-bill-regulating-media-benefit-2010-candidates)
By Carmela Fonbuena, abs-cbnNEWS.com, Newsbreak | 02/09/2009 5:36 PM

Media groups and personalities on Monday reiterated their opposition to the pending bill in Congress that if passed will require the media to grant the right of reply to all persons accused of a crime or criticized for any lapse in behavior.

The replies are to be published free of charge “in the same space” of the print publication or aired over the same program on radio, television, or Web site. The reply cannot be longer than the original report but unless it’s libelous, it cannot be edited.

Failing to comply could mean revocation of franchises or, worse, imprisonment.

The passage of the measure is imminent. Senate passed its version in July 2008. It’s in the committee level in the House of Representatives.

Philippine Daily Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot said he recognizes the right of reply of people subjected to accusations and criticisms, but he said it should not be a “statutory right.”

If passed, journalists said the right to reply bill will negatively impact media coverage.

Citing a 1974 US Supreme Court that declared the right of reply unconstitutional, Yambot said the measure will not only have “intolerable financial cost,” it will have a “chilling effect” on free speech and will “discourage” media outfits from publishing commentaries.

The US High Court declared the right of reply unconstitutional for two main reasons. One, the discretion of the editor to determine what should be placed in the newspaper is limited. And two, in effect, it restricts public debate and editorial independence.

Other countries like France, Germany, and South Korea have laws on right of reply. The United Nations and the European Union recognize the right, too.

Coverage of 2010 elections will suffer

Asked how, for instance, it will affect coverage of the 2010 elections, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) executive director Rey Hulog said: “There will be less discussion of issues. It can be abused. It can lessen public dialogue.”

“We will use up all our time in the right of reply. It will be the candidates that will be the one dictating issues that will be discussed,” Hulog added.

“Just imagine all stories aired, produced, and printed online are all replies from politicians. It becomes free political advertising,” said NUJP secretary general Sonny Fernandez.

“You can see the intent. It’s political agenda. The powerful people are getting hold of the media little by little by legislation,” Fernandez added.

“The presidential wannabes will be happy. It’s free space,” said Rowena Paraan, also with the NUJP. She said she fears that it would encourage politicians to avoid journalists’ question. They would rather not entertain interviews. They’ll wait for the story to come out and then submit their reply, which the media outfits will be forced to air or publish.

“They can say whatever they want to say. And it’s not just a two-liner,” Paraan said.

Questionable means

Lawyer Carlos Medina, who briefed journalists on laws on right of reply worldwide, said there’s no problem with right of reply in principle. The problem lies in the way that Congress seeks to implement it.

The right of reply bill has basis in the Philippine Constitution, Medina explained. It falls under the right of free speech, right of private honor and reputation, and right to an educated and enlightened public opinion. The intent of right of reply is to enhance fairness in public debate.

Medina also understands where the supporters of the bill are coming from. He said it’s a result of the frustration over the available remedies for people accused or criticized by the media. “They are not seen as completely effective. Libel cases are costly and long. It requires a burden of proof, which is not easy to comply with. It is basically because of these shortcomings that the right of reply was proposed as an alternative,” Medina said.

“The right of reply is a police power exercise. It seeks to regulate the press,” he said.

In every regulation, there are two things to look into, Medina said. What is the purpose of the regulation? And what are the means to achieve that purpose? Are they reasonable?

To Medina, the purpose of the right of reply bill is reasonable. The means to achieve that purpose, however, is questionable.

“I think the purpose is lawful. It seeks to protect a person's right to good reputation and private honor. It also contributes to fair public debate. The question really is: Is the means reasonable? There are reservations. There are concerns in both versions. The problem is not in the concept itself. It is in the way it is intended to be applied,” he said.

Medina said the Senate and House versions of the bill are dangerously “vague.” In both versions, it all persons who have been accused or criticized directly or indirectly may avail of the right of reply. The legislators did not provide restrictions.

The European Union, for instance, while it recognized the right of reply listed instances when the right of reply is not available. Among them is when the accusation or criticism is justified by overriding public interest and when it is a fair comment and a fair criticism based on true facts.

These protections are not provided in the versions of Philippine Congress.

[venntro]

Against the interrogation of journalists - NUJP and CMFR (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/views-and-analysis/02/11/09/against-interrogation-journalists-nujp-and-cmfr)
By NUJP and CMFR | 02/11/2009 10:25 AM

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) have learned that the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs headed by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has summoned Newsbreak senior writer Aries Rufo to testify in the hearings on the World Bank ban on construction firms it accuses of corruption.

Mr. Rufo was among the first to report on the results of the World Bank investigation, in which some witnesses linked President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s husband Jose Miguel Arroyo to certain corrupt practices. Mr. Rufo based his story on the confidential World Bank report, parts of which Newsbreak obtained.

Both NUJP and CMFR regard with extreme reservation the practice of summoning journalists to various inquiries—whether by security forces, either chamber of Congress, or any other government entity—supposedly to shed light on their news reports on matters of public interest. To further the goals of the inquiry or investigation, in most cases the journalist ends up being asked to provide confidential information, and/or to reveal his or her sources.

Both compromise the journalist’s primary obligation in a democracy: that of informing the public on matters that concern it. Journalists are sometimes provided confidential information for background rather than publication, and are compelled by journalism ethics to honor agreements of non-disclosure sources may require for a number of reasons, among them their safety. Some sources also prefer not to be known for the same reasons.

Revealing confidential information and the identity of sources are of no relevance to the fundamental journalistic task of providing information that both reporters and editors are convinced is accurate as well as fair, and balanced as well as significant. Honoring confidentiality agreements and protecting sources are thus sanctioned by the ethics of journalism. In addition, journalists are also protected by Philippine law from disclosing their sources.

We therefore ask the Senate to withdraw its plan to interrogate Mr. Rufo and to instead refer for information to the reports he has written and which his editors have approved for publication. Publication defines the limits of a journalist’s responsibility to the public, and for which he may be held accountable. Anything beyond those parameters constitutes undue interference in the news media’s task of providing the public the information it needs and expects, and involves the journalist in functions external to those of the press.

[venntro]

^^ Journalists are now espousing confidential information to avoid testifying before the Senate but they were also against executive privilege when Malacanang was using it in the upper house.

[venntro]

GMANews.TV warns public vs bogus Web site (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/148669/GMANewsTV-warns-public-vs-bogus-Web-site)
02/13/2009 | 02:08 PM

MANILA, Philippines - GMANews.TV, the official news Web site of GMA Network’s News and Public Affairs, would like to warn the public not to fall for a phony Web site masquerading as our site.

The sham Web site has the URL http://gmanewstv.comoj.com/karatekidaids.htm, and recently it posted a fabricated news item entitled "KARATE KID" FAST FOOD with AIDS!!!" The bogus story was about a 14-year-old boy who was diagnosed with AIDS after eating in a Makati restaurant.

A screen shot of the bogus Web site carrying the Karate Kid story has been circulating in Internet forums apparently to discredit GMANews.TV and the restaurant.

Legitimate Web sites can easily be faked through digital photo editing software applications. In the case of the fake GMANews.TV Web site, the perpetrators obviously made a screen grab of the nation page that contained the Red Cross kidnapping story, altered the copied page with a bogus Karate Kid story and posted it online using an obscure URL http://gmanewstv.comoj.com/karatekidaids.htm. This Web site does not belong to GMANews.TV or any of its affiliates, including its parent company, GMA Network Inc. and its Internet unit, GMA New Media Inc.

A comparison of the fake Web site and the GMANews.TV will reveal these glaring differences:

First, the fake Web site used all capital letters in the headline. These are not the style of GMANews.TV even if it is the end of the world.

Second, the fake Web site used triple exclamation points. These are also not the style of GMANews.TV.

Third, the fake Web site used a text font type that is different from the one used by GMANews.TV.

Fourth, articles tagged as related stories were about the kidnapping of International Committee of the Red Cross in Sulu.

[venntro]

Filipino broadcaster killed in Misamis (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=442851&publicationSubCategoryId=200)
Updated February 23, 2009 12:24 PM


COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) -- A Filipino broadcaster was shot dead early Monday morning in the southern Philippine province of Misamis, local police said.

Ernie Rullen, who worked for local radio station dxSY, was killed by unidentified men at the vicinity of a gas station in the city of Oroquieta at around 05:30 a.m. local time, police said.

Rullen was killed on his way to work in nearby Ozamis city, the capital of Misamis province.

Jose Torres of the country's National Union of Journalist said Rullen was the first journalist killed in the Philippines this year, after at least seven were murdered across the country last year.

The Philippines is rated one of the most dangerous place in the world for journalists as outspoken and bold media practitioners usually become the victim of political struggles or personal grudges

[venntro]

Right of Reply bill a threat to press freedom - Roxas (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150311/Right-of-Reply-bill-a-threat-to-press-freedom---Roxas)
SOPHIA DEDACE, GMANews.TV
02/25/2009 | 03:02 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Amid the snowballing opposition to the bill granting a right for redress to persons negatively portrayed by media, a senator on Wednesday said that the Right of Reply bill (RORB) might encroach on the freedom of the press and could suppress the public’s right to information.

Sen. Manuel Roxas II, one of the senators who did not sign the bill, said the legislation should be reviewed thoroughly before being passed in Congress.

“Dapat marahan po tayo. Dapat dahan-dahan po ‘yan at [hindi] basta-bastang ipasa ‘yan. Dapat balansehin natin. Habang gusto natin na may balanseng laban, hindi dapat sagasaan yung freedom of information at freedom ng ating media," Roxas said in an interview on dzBB radio.

[We should be careful in passing that bill and we should also balanced it. Although we want to be fair to the possible aggrieved parties, we should not tread upon the freedom of information and the freedom of the media.]

RORB, which was principally authored by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and Francis Escudero, seeks to punish media firms through imposition of fines, closure and imprisonment if they fail to immediately give the complainant an equal airtime for broadcast reports or equal space in newspapers.

But Roxas said that the proposed measure could “weaken [media’s] role as the watchdog of society" and as “a pillar of democracy."

Various media organizations on Tuesday denounced the RORB and vowed to block its passage in Congress. The journalists also said that the bill might be “an act of terrorism" against the media.

Meanwhile, Malacañang washed its hands off the controversial bill, even as it admitted it is not quite ready to join media groups’ opposition to it.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez Jr. said in a separate interview on Wednesday that it was "impossible" for the Palace to have pushed the bill, saying proposed laws originate only in Congress.

The Senate (SB 2150) and the House’s (HB 3306) versions of the “access to media" proposals were born out of an attempt to ease the tension triggered by the “clash" between the freedom of speech and the right to protect one’s reputation.

The Senate passed the bill in July 2008, while its version at the House of Representative remains pending. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Palace distances itself from Right of Reply bill (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150262/Palace-distances-itself-from-Right-of-Reply-bill)
02/25/2009 | 09:04 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Wednesday washed its hands off the controversial Right of Reply Bill (RORB), even as it admitted it is not quite ready to join media groups’ opposition to it.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez Jr. said it was "impossible" for the Palace to have pushed the bill, saying proposed laws originate only in Congress.

"Imposibleng sa Malacañang ang nagpasimuno niyan. Ang batas nagsisimula sa congressman [at senador] natin [It is impossible for Malacañang to have been the origin of that bill. Laws originate from Congress]," Golez said in an interview on dzXL radio.

But Golez also said Malacañang is not quite ready to join the opposition to the controversial RORB, saying they are still weighing the pros and cons of the proposed measure.

He said that while Malacañang sees the "wisdom" behind the bill, it will not allow the constitutional provision assuring press freedom to be violated.

"Siguro mas maganda mapagaralang mabuti yan. Ang Pangulo hindi sasang-ayon sa batas na (kokontra) sa Saligang Batas [It is better to study it for now. But I can tell you the President will not allow the Constitution’s provision on press freedom to be violated]," he said.

"Nakikita natin ang wisdom behind the bill. Ang maganda rito mapagaralang mabuti para sa ganoon makita natin din kung ano ang kabuuan nito [We see the wisdom behind the bill. But it will be better for us to study it thoroughly, in its right context]," he added in a separate interview on dwIZ radio.

The RORB seeks to punish media firms through fines, closure and imprisonment if they fail to immediately give the complainant equal airtime or equal print space.

Media groups criticized the bill, which they said will curtail press freedom because politicians or personalities may use vague provisions to use the bill to gain publicity.

"That is the reason at the onset nakita natin maganda pero kailangan pag-aralan ang panukalang yan. Ayaw natin ma-curtail ang freedom of the press. Ang press freedom dito isa sa pinakamaganda at pinakamalaya compared sa ibang bansa at ayaw nating maantala," Golez said.

["That is why we see the bill is good but we have to study it because we do not want to curtail freedom of the press. The Philippine press is one of the freest compared to other countries and we do not want to destroy that freedom."] - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Go slow on right of reply bill, Malacañang tells Congress (http://http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/feb/26/yehey/metro/20090226met1.html)
Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter and Efren L. Danao Senior Reporter

Malacañang warned Congress it might be impinging upon the freedoms of expression and of the press in passing the controversial right of reply bill.

“Should the bill be deliberated upon, it will be well for our lawmakers to understand that this is the very essence of democracy. There should be more discussions,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in a press conference Wednesday.

“The caveat is to be sure it will not be an infringement on freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” he said.

Media groups are outraged over the measure, which seeks to mandate that the reactions of subjects in news stories be given equal prominence.

What has worried local and foreign media groups is the wording of the bill, which says that anyone “accused of a crime or criticized for any lapse in behavior” shall be given the right to reply in the medium that published or aired the accusation.

“This is just a bill for the politicians who can say what they like about anyone or anything in both houses where they are protected by privilege but scream like hell when they are criticized,” Vergel Santos, chairman of the BusinessWorld editorial board, told Agence France-Presse.

In defense, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. maintained that freedom of expression is not an exclusive prerogative of the press, saying “if media has the right to mortify, the public has the right to reply . . . there is no prior censorship that is being imposed by the bill.”

The measure would compel media to provide equal space to or airtime to any person who wants to respond to undue criticisms from mass media.

The final bill is expected to impose fines of up to P50,000 for failure to comply or up to six months in jail.

Pimentel said that some print or broadcast journalists do not want their pieces corrected or their opinions contradicted even for factual flaws or errors of conclusion.

He said that self-regulation would be an ideal situation in media but he said this is not the present situation. He pointed out that neither the Kilusan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) nor the Philippine Press Institute has jurisdiction over thousands of independent media practitioners in the country.

“How many are members of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas? Many broadcasters killed in the provinces were not even members of the KBP,” he said.

Sen. Richard Gordon said he supported the bill because there are “wolf packs” in media and the bill should prod the media industry to police its ranks.

“A responsible media is the best guarantee for good government,” he said.

Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Revision of Codes and Laws, said he would consult with various media organizations and practitioners on the bill before going to the bicameral committee. He noted that media had not expressed any serious reservations about the bill during the Senate deliberations.

Meanwhile, the National Press Club has called for the outright junking of the bill.

“Enacting a law such as right of reply is tantamount to saying that the country’s media practitioners are irresponsible, insensitive and not after the pursuit of truth and justice,” Benny Antiporda, NPC president, said in a press statement.

“A journalist is expected to be fair and responsible. This is not to mention the fact that almost all papers have their respective opinion pages where affected individuals can send letters to the editor and freely express their opinions on matters that concern them,” Antiporda said.

Pimentel denied that his bill gave the impression that media men are irresponsible.

“There are resolutions against robbery in barangays but this does not mean that all people in barangays are robbers,” he said.

For his part, Rep. Bienvenido Abante of Manila, who also sponsored the bill in the House plenary, said the bill would promote equality.

Abante, who chairs the House Committee on Public Information, assured media that “the bill will not be a curtailment of their rights” and added that “ the right to respond on any verbal and written attack is an equal right.”

The House version contained under House Bill (HB) No. 3306 is principally authored by Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella.

But Rep. Teofisto Guingona 3rd of Bukidnon said the bill “is nothing less than censorship—the very worst enemy of free speech and democracy” as he cited a constitutional provision barring the passing of a law that would abridge the freedom of the press, speech and expression.

He said: “This could lead to a dreadful situation where media is forced to act as a compulsory debating platform rather than a free and independent medium for public information. Freedom of the press and expression guarantees that no person or media can be forced to utter or publish what they don’t want to.”

The Senate had already passed the bill on third and final reading. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the Senate could no longer recall the bill, which has been officially transmitted to the House.

Asked if President Gloria Arroyo would immediately veto the right to reply bill should the bill passed both houses of Congress, Ermita said he can’t speculate.

“We just have to wait for it once it reaches the Palace,” he said.
-- With Frank Lloyd Tiongson and AFP

[WawaY[625]]

Sobrang Press Freedom na ang binibigay sa media natin...minsan abusado na sila and wala nang check and balance

In general, wala akong respeto sa media ng Pilipinas at isa sila sa mga salot ng lipunan :bash::bash::bash:

[venntro]

;32850728']Sobrang Press Freedom na ang binibigay sa media natin...minsan abusado na sila and wala nang check and balance

In general, wala akong respeto sa media ng Pilipinas at isa sila sa mga salot ng lipunan :bash::bash::bash:

^^ Some of them are not even objective and are clearly biased in their reporting.

[WawaY[625]]

and minsan tinitwist nila ang balita dahil may agenda sila

[WawaY[625]]

^^ Journalists are now espousing confidential information to avoid testifying before the Senate but they were also against executive privilege when Malacanang was using it in the upper house.

abusado talaga..

hayyzzz pag media ang pinag-uusapan umiinit ang ulo ko :lol:makaalis nga sa thread na ito..

sobrang kinamumuhian ko sila..sana nung kinidnap si cez eh binuntis sya ng abu sayaff :lol: eh kagagawan naman nya yun eh

[venntro]

;32851376']abusado talaga..

hayyzzz pag media ang pinag-uusapan umiinit ang ulo ko :lol:makaalis nga sa thread na ito..

sobrang kinamumuhian ko sila..sana nung kinidnap si cez eh binuntis sya ng abu sayaff :lol: eh kagagawan naman nya yun eh

^^ Wag na baka dumami pa lahi nila. :lol::lol:

[venntro]

Right of Reply faces GMA veto (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=443964&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
Updated February 27, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo will veto the Right of Reply Bill if she finds its provisions would trample on the freedoms of the press and of expression, Malacañang said yesterday.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said Mrs. Arroyo will not tolerate any infringement on these constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.

“If it curtails any press freedom, then it will never get the support of the Palace,” he said.

Speaker Prospero Nograles was urged yesterday to return the Right of Reply Bill to the House of Representatives’ committee on public information for review.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said the bill must be reviewed because it intends to infringe on press freedom.

“The Speaker and the House leadership should send this bill back to the committee,” he said.

“They should rethink the wisdom of this proposal.”

Speaking at the Serye Café forum in Quezon City yesterday, Casiño said the proposed bill would interfere with the editorial judgment of a newspaper or a broadcast organization.

Other militant party-list representatives would oppose the measure, he added.

Another forum guest, lawyer Adel Tamano, United Opposition spokesman, said the bill would benefit politicians and other public figures who are the frequent subjects of media exposes.

“But for me, if you are a politician or a public figure, you should not be onion-skinned,” he said.

Politicians and other citizens who think journalists have abused press freedom could file libel cases, Tamano said.

Another lawmaker opposing the Right of Reply Bill is Lorenzo Tañada III of Quezon province.

“I personally believe that journalists’ ethics cannot be legislated,” he said. “Rather, it should be clearly spelled out, strictly adhered to and implemented by a newspaper or a broadcast media’s editorial board.”

The prospect of being fined and imprisoned could have a more chilling effect, Tañada said.

Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella, the bill’s principal author, said the House would begin floor debates on his proposal next week before Congress goes on Lenten break.

‘No law can regulate media’

Chair Leila de Lima of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said yesterday no law can regulate members of the media, who are the guardians of public interest.

“ It might be an undue intrusion into the right of media. I always believe that it should be self regulation by media, no legislation is needed. Self-regulation is the best tact,” she said.

The CHR will release today an official statement on the Right of Reply, De Lima said.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa agrees with De Lima that the media should be allowed to observe self-regulation.

“We know that our media friends and the agencies they represent maintain a code of ethics. We will respect the code of ethics that is being practiced by our media personnel,” he said.

However, Verzosa said the wisdom of the lawmakers who sponsored the bill should also be considered.

“We have to consider also the wisdom that is being forwarded by our legislators, why they came up with that bill, so we will wait for the outcome of the processing of the Right of Reply Bill,” he said.

[venntro]

Int'l media group supports opposition to Right of Reply bill (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150576/Intl-media-group-supports-opposition-to-Right-of-Reply-bill)
02/26/2009 | 09:45 PM

MANILA, Philippines - An international media watchdog threw its support Thursday to Philippine journalists' opposition against the controversial Right of Reply Bill (RORB).

In an article posted on its website, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontieres/RSF) said that while the right of reply should be respected, it should not be imposed through force.

"Reporters Without Borders supports Philippine journalists who are campaigning against a bill that would force news media to publish or broadcast the response of anyone claiming to have been unfairly criticised in that media. The press freedom organisation believes the right of reply should be respected but not imposed by force, and urges parliamentarians to throw out the bill," it said on its website.

The group noted the House of Representatives is due to vote soon on the RORB, which it said would impose heavy fines and censorship on news media that fails to comply. It added the measure, once passed into law, can even impose jail terms on the staff of a media outlet that "violates" it.

RSF also noted the bill was described as an “act of terrorism against the media” when journalists’ groups gathered to press their demand for its withdrawal.

The bill says anyone “accused of a crime or criticized for any lapse in behavior” shall be given the right to reply in the media that printed or broadcast the accusation. But the RSF also noted a lawyer had said the bill would violate a constitutional ban on laws that restrict free speech, freedom of expression and press freedom.

"As the country’s press councils already allow people to claim the right of reply, the proposed law is seen as way to pressure the media. Editors and media executives fear candidates in next year’s elections will use it to harass journalists," it added.

More than 130 journalists and media executives have already signed a petition against the bill, RSF noted. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Lawmakers: Right of Reply bill won't see plenary if solons say no in survey (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150644/Lawmakers-Right-of-Reply-bill-wont-see-plenary-if-solons-say-no-in-survey)
02/27/2009 | 12:12 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The controversial Right of Reply bill (RORB) won't get into floor debate if a House survey would show that majority of congressmen reject it, lawmakers said Friday.

In an interview over radio dzBB, Public Information committee chair Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said Speaker Prospero Nograles had conducted a survey among members of the House to determine RORB’s chances of getting passed.

"If more congressmen do not want this to be approved ‘di hindi mapapag-usapan sa plenaryo yan [it will no longer be taken up in plenary]," said Abante, who is supposed to defend the bill if it gets debated on.

Majority Leader Rep. Arthur Defensor Sr. agreed with Abante.

In a telephone interview with GMANews.TV, Defensor said he is still unaware of the results of the survey, which simply asked whether lawmakers want the measure passed.

But Defensor noted that the survey was done before Rep. Monico Puentevella, principal author of the bill, introduced major amendments Thursday.

Defensor said the survey result is with Nograles. GMANews.TV tried to contact the Speaker, but he was not responding as of posting time.

On Thursday, Puentevella filed amendments to House Bill 3306 (RORB) amid protests from various media organizations, saying the measure was an attack on press freedom.

Changes in the bill include the protection of the editor's discretion over the placement of the reply - "subject to location and visibility" - as long as the full gist of the reply is published. The reply is also limited to the first instance "to avoid an endless cycle of point and counterpart," Puentevella said in a statement.

The one-day deadline given for print and broadcast organizations to publish or broadcast the replies was also extended to three days, as in the Senate version which the upper chamber approved on third reading last July.

Penalties have been reduced, and the sections pertaining imprisonment and closure of non-complying media outfits have been omitted, Puentevella said.

The proposed amendments also include the creation of a congressional oversight committee that will monitor the law's implementation.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Press Secretary, the Philippine Information Agency, and representatives from the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP), the National Press Club (NPC), and major local and cable television networks will be designated to craft the implementing rules and regulations.

Despite filing the amendments, Puentevella has insisted that the RORB was not meant to curtail press freedom.

"The interest of society demands not merely the right to express one's thoughts but the right to an educated and enlightened public through a full discussion of public affairs. The Right of Reply bill seeks to promote this practice and does not, in any manner, inhibit the freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in the Constitution," he said. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV

[venntro]

VP Noli says Right of Reply bill not needed (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150650/VP-Noli-says-Right-of-Reply-bill-not-needed)
MARK MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV
02/27/2009 | 12:49 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Add Vice President Noli de Castro to the growing list of those opposed to the proposed Right of Reply bill.

A radio report said that while De Castro viewed the controversial proposed measure as a wake-up call for erring journalists, he stressed that there is no need for any legislation that would require media firms to publish or air every reply on news items that coming their way.

De Castro said that the guidelines detailed in the Journalist’s Code of Ethics specify media practitioners’ role of delivering fair and balanced reporting including getting all sides to an issue.

Before venturing into politics, De Castro was a famed news anchor. He still hosts a weekly radio program.

For his part, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde agreed with De Castro that the measure should serve as a reminder for journalists to be fair at all times.

De Castro’s announcement came a day after the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) both threw their support for the journalists opposing the RORB.

In expression the PNP’s contentment in media reporting in the country, Director German Doria of the Police Community Relations, said that save for a few exceptions, journalists in the Philippines are generally responsible in observing journalism ethics in the gathering and dissemination of news.

CHR chairperson Leila de Lima seconded the PNP’s stand on the issue and said human rights violations could possibly be committed if ever the RORB – described by journalists as an affront to press freedom – is passed.

De Lima said she does not find a need to push for a new legislation concerning media, when the latter is already governed by other mechanisms like self-regulation and press councils. To begin with, the Libel Law has long been in place to punish erring media practitioners, she added.

The controversial bill was allegedly drawn up to secure individuals portrayed negatively in media a sure spot to reply in print or broadcast media. The measure requires media organizations to publish or air the reply within one or three days (depending on the respective versions of the House and the Senate) after the report first came out.

Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella – the House version’s principal author – has already filed amendments to the controversial bill, which centered on provisions on editorial discretion, penalties, and implementation.

But various media firms balked at the RORB anew upon learning that its version at the House is already up for second reading, adding that the measure could be considered "an act of terrorism against media" that could trigger a scenario “worse than the martial law era." - GMANews.TV

[tonight]

Broadcaster hurt in apparent harassment (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090228-191626/Broadcaster-hurt-in-apparent-harassment)

DIGOS CITY, Davao Del Sur -- A block-time broadcaster sustained bruises and cuts when he was harassed by two armed men while traveling on a highway in Colorado village here around 10 a.m. Saturday, reports reaching the city police office said.

Ronaldo Doong, co-host of a commentary program aired over Radyo Ukay here, said he and a companion, Alfredo Avila, were riding a single motorcycle from Magsaysay town to this city when two men on another motorbike suddenly blocked their way and pointed handguns at them.

Doong said one of the men kicked the motorcycle they were riding, causing him and Avila to hit the pavement.

Speaking to the Inquirer at his hospital bed here, Doong said he did not know the assailants.

He said they warned him that he will be harmed if he continued broadcasting.

"They told me I am already hurting some people because of my commentaries but they did not say who these people are," Doong said.

Doong's program is perceived to favor a politician who is at odds with another politician here.

[tonight]

Joker slams President on ‘reply’ bill (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090302-191775/Joker-slams-President-on-reply-bill)

Sen. Joker Arroyo Sunday slammed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and three senators aspiring to succeed her for “buttering up to the media” when they supported the clamor against the controversial right of reply bill.

Arroyo said the President should have waited for the outcome of the reconciled versions of the Senate and House of Representatives before saying she would veto the measure.

Blaming her advisers for taking such position, the senator pointed out that there was no need for Ms Arroyo to earn brownie points from the media.

“Even if the President sides with the media on this, she will still be attacked by the media,” he said over dzBB radio.

He said Senators Loren Legarda, Manuel Roxas II and Francis Escudero’s withdrawal of support for the bill last week was only for media show. The bill requires media to provide space or airtime to persons offended by their reports.

Legarda, Roxas and Escudero were among 21 senators who voted for the Senate approval of the bill in July. An aide to Roxas said on Sunday that the senator did not sign the bill.

Senator Arroyo said the withdrawal of support by the three senators was useless because the Senate was already done with the measure.

He was particularly critical of Escudero who, he said, was one of the authors of the measure.

“So that’s what will happen if one wants to be president or you’re a president. If media complain, he or she runs for cover. It’s like running for cover at the first drop of rain. It doesn’t look good,” Arroyo said in the radio interview.

In a phone interview later, he said, “They are all just buttering up to the media.”

The House has deferred the plenary vote on the bill pending a dialogue with media groups over concerns the bill would infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of speech and of the press.

Both Senate and House versions provide that all persons accused of committing a crime or are criticized by innuendo, suggestion or rumor for any lapse in behavior on print, air or Internet have the right to reply.

The bill mandates the reply to be published in the same space or broadcast in the same program and cannot be edited, prompting media to say this was tantamount to dictating to them what to print or broadcast.

Too late

Speaker Prospero Nograles also twitted the senators who had a change of heart on the right of reply bill.

“What’s this news that senators can still withdraw their votes from right of reply bill, which they have unanimously passed on third reading and probably have transmitted already to the House? If records show that the House has received their bill, then ‘sorry.’ But it’s too late for senators to withdraw their votes on this bill,” Nograles said in a text message.

He said the House was under pressure to approve the bill after the Senate approved its version unanimously.

The House has deferred deliberations on the bill until Nograles shall have sat down with leaders of the media industry and journalists’ organizations this week.

Explaining the circumstances behind the filing of the measure, Arroyo said the Senate committee on public information headed by Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and the justice committee under Escudero had initially discussed the bill that seeks to decriminalize libel.

The right of reply bill came out following discussions on what recourse people would have should libel be decriminalized, he said.

It was pushed also in response or as an “offsetting factor” to the numerous killings of provincial journalists, who according to Arroyo, could have been ordered killed by people the victims had attacked in the media.

“If you decriminalize libel and you don’t give the right to reply, what’s the remedy of the offended party? What will happen?” he asked.

In a phone interview later, he said: “They kill. That’s why provincial journalists are being killed.”

Sunset clause

The measure though has a “sunset clause” which provides it would lapse after a period of time, he said.

Arroyo said media were also to blame because they did not “take seriously” the Senate hearings. Media’s participation in the Senate hearings and plenary debates was “minimal,” he noted.

“It’s not fair when given the opportunity they just didn’t care. They slept on it. They were so confident no one will touch it,” he said of the media.

(Some prominent media leaders and media organizations have said they were not invited to the hearings.)

Equally surprising for the senator was the President’s statement that she would veto the bill when she had not even seen it in its “final form.”

Told that Vice President Noli de Castro was also against it, he said De Castro was also a presidential aspirant.

“It seems those who are against it are those who want to be president,” he said.

Standard provision

Saying there was no need for media to be apprehensive, he said this was nothing new because in all franchise bills for broadcast media, there was a “standard provision” that TV and radio must give people the right to reply.

He said the government could revoke the franchise of the broadcast firm if it violated this, but he noted this had not been exercised by the State.

Arroyo said the purpose of the bill was to benefit private citizens who are being given the “right to redress grievances against the media.”

“Public officials are incidental here,” he said.

Escudero defended his new position, saying he withdrew support for the bill after listening to what media groups had to say about it.

“That’s the difference between the young and old. The young still know how to listen, understand and learn,” he said, in an apparent jab against Arroyo.

Escudero also dismissed Arroyo’s claim that he changed his position because he was eyeing the presidency next year. He said he had not declared his intention to run for president.

Sponsored by Pimentel

Escudero also told dzBB that he was chair of the second committee that handled the measure and that the one who sponsored it was Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Escudero said media did not air their concerns during the hearings.

He called on the opposition not to give the President the chance to be the hero in this measure.

[venntro]

Presidential aspirants scored for withdrawing support for ROR bill (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=444827&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
By Christina Mendez Updated March 02, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Joker Arroyo slammed his three colleagues yesterday for withdrawing their support to the Right of Reply Bill (RORB), apparently as an effort to increase their popularity among the various media organizations in preparation for the elections next year.

Arroyo said Senators Manuel Roxas II, Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda are trying to drum up support from media organizations against the passage of the RORB.

Arroyo said the country does not need “apprehensive presidential bets” in 2010.

He said even President Arroyo was reportedly against the passage of the bill.

“Why was the President first to declare that she would veto the RORB? I don’t think that she is right. She only wants to get good points with the media who’d then take turns in criticizing her the next day,” said Sen. Arroyo, who is not related to the President.

Arroyo described the President’s move as “unpresidentiable.”

Arroyo also pointed out Escudero headed the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, secondary to the committee on mass media of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla.

He said Escudero sponsored the RORB proposal, which was then Senate Bill 2150, along with Revilla and principal author Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

“Why is Chiz (Escudero) withdrawing support? So as other presidentiables?” he asked. “Why is it that if you are the President and if you want to be President, at first drop of the rain, you take cover,” Arroyo said in an interview over dzBB. “In other words, those who are contrary to this bill are those who want to be president. Why does it seem that you want to please the media and do what they want?”

Escudero chided Arroyo for his remarks and defended his withdrawal of support from the RORB.

“Unlike my colleagues, I have not declared any political plans. My reasons for withdrawing are simple, I just listen and learn from the elders,” he said.

Escudero conceded the Senate voted unanimously in favor of the RORB and the reservations of the media came only months after it was approved on third reading on July 29 last year, as also pointed out by Arroyo.

Legarda, for her part, said the RORB is a violation of the freedom of the press and expression under the Constitution.

In a subsequent interview, Arroyo told The STAR that the RORB was pushed by the Senate due to the demand of media to decriminalize libel and in response to the many killings of journalists in the provinces.

“If there is no Right of Reply, then the aggrieved party have no recourse that’s why provincial journalists (are getting) killed,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo also raised a question why the media have been complaining only now when they chose to be quiet during deliberations over the RORB last year.

He also cited that the same right of reply has been incorporated in the franchises granted to television and radio stations where there is a standard provision that it is an obligation of a franchise holder to give equal time to parties offended by its broadcast.

Arroyo pointed out however that the right can only be invoked by government or by the State and it does not cover private offended parties. “This is not new to TV or broadcast,” he said.

The senator also chided President Arroyo for prematurely saying that she is going to veto the bill. “What’s unusual is that the President threatened to veto it when she has not read the final form… and so the President and the presidential candidates are in good graces of the media even if they (senators) have to take their solemn votes,” Arroyo said.

Pimentel said it would be premature and irresponsible to say that the RORB faces presidential veto while the bill is still being crafted and debated by Congress.

Pimentel shrugged off reports Mrs. Arroyo would thumb down the proposal supposedly because she is against any infringement on press freedom.

[venntro]

First Gentleman's petition versus media class suit denied by Court of Appeals (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=444830&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
By Edu Punay Updated March 02, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has denied with finality First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo’s petition seeking to stop the Makati regional trial court (RTC) from hearing a class-action suit filed against him by over 40 journalists and media organizations in December 2006.

In a seven-page decision, the former seventh division of the appellate court denied for lack of merit the motion of Mr. Arroyo seeking reconsideration of its Sept. 22, 2008 decision penned by Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta and concurred in by Associate Justices Edgardo Cruz and Normandie Pizzaro.

At least 40 journalists and media organizations, “on their own behalf and acting as class suit representatives of fellow members of the Philippine press,” filed a class action suit on Dec. 28, 2006 against President Arroyo’s husband.

The group demanded “the symbolic amount” of at least P12.5 million in damages for “anxiety, loss of income and other inconveniences” caused by the libel suits previously filed against them by the First Gentleman.

The complainants were reporters, columnists, editors and publishers of various publications and media organizations who have been previously sued for libel by Mr. Arroyo since 2003.

Among those who filed the suit were Ellen Tordesillas of Malaya, Ninez Cacho-Olivares of The Daily Tribune, Ricky Carandang of ABS-CBN News, Newsbreak’s Glenda Gloria and Marites Vitug, who is now editor-in-chief of abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

The journalists and media organizations asserted that Mr. Arroyo abused his rights and violated freedom of the press in filing the numerous libel cases.

The journalists would later file an amended complaint in early 2007 that also sought to add four more journalists as petitioners.

After the Makati RTC ordered a preliminary hearing on the case on March 16, 2007, Mr. Arroyo filed the petition to the CA to stop the Makati RTC from holding the hearing with amended complaint.

Mr. Arroyo said Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 143 Judge Zenaida T. Galapate-Laguilles “acted without jurisdiction or with grave abuse of discretion” after she admitted the amended complaint and said that the RTC did not have jurisdiction on the case due to “the non-payment of the proper docket fees” by the group of journalists.

The CA decision however dismissed the allegation of “grave abuse of discretion” of the Makati RTC judge.

“The alleged grave abuse of discretion in the issuance of the Order dated March 16, 3007 is wanting in this case,” said the 23-page CA decision last year.

[tonight]

Right to reply (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20090302-191787/Right-to-reply)
By Conrado de Quiros

MANILA, Philippines—I remember again what I told my friends at a conference abroad the other year. My friends, who were journalists from various Islamic countries, many of whom labored from all sorts of restrictions in their chosen profession, expressed their envy of the Philippines which they saw as enjoying a free press.

I said our problem was a curious one, and not altogether the lighter one. True enough, I said, we were free to say anything in newspapers and radio and TV that could be backed up by evidence (we had libel laws) and sometimes even with the lack of it (we had outfits that could do with the free advertisement libel brought). Unfortunately, nobody minded it. The press is free to expose officials as crooks, but the crooks remain free to continue to steal anyway. Certainly they remain free.

At least in older—now forgotten—times, public officials bristled at being called “buayas” (crocodiles), which compelled them to be a little more circumspect in their theft, thereby limiting its scale. Today, the press exposes or calls public officials crooks, and the crooks laugh all the way to the bank. Who cares about being called a crook when it entitles you to more loot while being called a whistle-blower merely entitles you to a term in jail?

It’s an incredible situation where words no longer seem to have any visible effect on reality. That is the sound of a country losing its soul.

I remember this in light of the “right of reply” bill sponsored by Nene Pimentel which has passed the Senate with no one opposing it and which is due to pass the House anytime now. Frankly, I can’t understand why my friend persists in ramming through this unmitigated folly. There’s nothing more perverse and ill-timed.

We’ve just seen one of the most horrendous spectacles of official wrongdoing ever to be sprung before us—quite a feat given the procession of epic wrongdoing that has passed before our eyes—in the form of the World Bank implicating the First Gentleman in a rip-off hatched by three WB-funded Filipino firms. The public went up the hill to call for heads to fall, the press went (down) to town calling the implicated companies and officials crooks, or as much so as libel laws allowed. The result of all this sound and fury was to signify—and to prove my point above—nothing.

Well, not altogether nothing. It also signified comedy, or atrocity, as befitted the chair of committee heading the investigation, Miriam Santiago. Stung by the uprising, Santiago promptly climbed onto her white horse and ran after ... the World Bank. I myself can only imagine the UN congratulating itself happily for not making her an international jurist, if only because her sponsor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, sponsored her. If several Serbian villages accused another of their former leaders of war crimes, she would have mounted the same high horse and ridden after ... the villagers. At least Somalian jurists, one of which the UN picked in her stead, know which direction to face, or which side of the horse is the head and which the ass.

Pimentel’s bill is a variation of this. Our problem is that despite having a free press that does not fail to call crooks crooks, our crooks do not fail to get away. The obvious solution to everyone, including the truant kids in my neighborhood, is to not let the crooks get away. The solution to Pimentel is to not let the press get away.

That is what his bill does, whatever his intentions, whatever his motives. There is nothing innocent about it. The Inquirer has already pointed out the lunacy of his bill in its editorials. I’ve done the same in several columns in past months. Suffice it to say here that this bill will stamp out criticism entirely. Yes, entirely. That is so because of a very real fear on the part of media. That fear is not the “chilling effect” that many journalist organizations are citing. If Filipino journalists have shown anything, it is courage over and beyond the call of duty, or the lure of meager pay. That fear is being reduced to becoming the advertising or PR firms of public officials.

Why on earth should media be scared per se about officials answering back? Media have always shown a higher IQ, if not higher moral standards (barring the crooks in media, who arguably thrive as well), than public officials. But you now criticize a public official, and whether he or she is guilty or not, he or she will have the right to occupy space in your news. The guiltier, the louder. Or worse, the lengthier. With elections in particular round the corner, every official who gets criticized, will get to strut his hour upon the stage, or its equivalent in media. That is still another variation on government’s favorite pastime of rewarding the guilty and punishing the innocent.

If you’re a newspaper or a radio or TV station, you will balk at criticizing a public official, or indeed even praising him or her—they can always construe it as faint praise—out of the absolute, terrifying, spine-tingling fear not of him refuting you but of him robbing you of precious space. Still another favorite government pastime, robbing. Space that could, and should, be used for legitimate news, which you now have to allocate to illegitimate, or unpaid, PR. Yet still other favorite government pastimes, fomenting illegitimacy and not paying. That is the sound of news dying. Or being strangled.

However you slice it, and dice it, and spice it, the “right of reply” sucks, and sucks big time. Of course Malacañang says GMA means to block it, as she will not have the media curtailed in any way. That makes her out to be a staunch champion of press freedom, to which every journalist has every right to reply in the gravest and solemnest of terms:

Hahahahahahahaha!

[venntro]

^^ Of course he would diss the RORB since he's from the media. Such a biased comment.

[tonight]

Media concerns cited (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/197404/media-concerns-cited)
By Edmer F. Panesa

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday said he stands ready to accept changes in the Right to Reply bill as he acknowledged the concerns aired by members of the media.

Interviewed at the "Kapihan sa Sulo" news forum in Quezon City, Pimentel, author of the bill in the Senate, said members of the Fourth Estate who believe the measure is a curtailment of press freedom may still bring their concerns to the House of Representatives that is yet to approve its own version.

These concerns, he added, may also be raised before the bicameral conference committee that will thresh out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

"I welcome all criticisms against the Right to Reply bill. It will help us refine its provisions," he said.

The bill provides that anyone may claim the right to answer any story derogatory to him or her, in more or less the same space or time of broadcast to be provided by the media organization.

Press practitioners led by National Press Club (NPC) President Benny Antiporda said the bill goes against the principal of freedom of the press, citing a case in the United States. They stressed that while the press is subject to libel law — after publication — there should be no pre-publication restriction, like censorship or compulsion to publish anything.

Lawyer Rudolf Steve Jularbal, legal counsel of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), said there is no need for such a law because it is normal practice in the broadcast industry for news organizations to report both sides of an issue.

Alvin Alburo of GMA Network shared the opinion of Jularbal. In a statement distributed to reporters covering the forum, GMA Network said: "The media in the Philippines must be free to exercise its constitutionally protected duties to decide what news content to air and print. This freedom would be curtailed by a law enabling virtually anyone to make demands on airtime and newspaper space under the guise of their right to reply."

Pimentel assured media practitioners the bill has no intention whatsoever to put a prior constraint on media. He said responsible media practitioners who observe fair and balance reporting should not be alarmed by the bill.

The Senate version of the Right to Reply bill has already passed third and final reading, while the House version, authored by Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella, is still up for third reading. However, House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles has decided to defer the final plenary vote on the measure pending further dialogue with media groups.

In a text message to reporters, Nograles said he will host a dinner with heads of major news organizations to discuss the bill. "Dialogue will cure this problem. Lack of it will cause grave misunderstanding. We shall avoid the latter. Let’s look for a win-win solution," the speaker said.

[venntro]

Mike Arroyo to elevate to SC appeal vs journalists' class suit (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150996/Mike-Arroyo-to-elevate-to-SC-appeal-vs-journalists-class-suit)
MARK MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV
03/02/2009 | 02:21 PM

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike" Arroyo said they would elevate all the way to the Supreme Court (SC) their petition regarding a class suit filed against him by a group of journalists.

The move came after the Court of Appeals (CA) over the weekend dismissed Mr. Arroyo’s appeal to prevent the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 140 from hearing the P12.5-million suit filed by a group of media practitioners.

The journalists lodged the class suit Dcember 2006 in response to the string of libel cases that the First Gentleman had filed starting 2003.

Lawyer Ruy Rondain, Mr. Arroyo’s legal counsel, said the CA justices “misunderstood" the issue when the Court junked the appeal. Rondain said Mr. Arroyo’s camp was merely asking the appellate court to order the Makati court not to entertain the amendment complaint and instead proceed with the original class suit.

Mr. Arroyo had been insisting that Judge Zenaida Galapate-Laguilles of the Makati RTC Branch 140 could not gain jurisdiction over the case because the group of journalists had allegedly failed to pay the right amount of filing fees.

Based on Mr. Arroyo’s computations, the 39 complainant-journalists and media organizations seeking damages in total of P487.5 million should have posted P9 million in docket fees.

But in its latest ruling, the CA said Mr. Arroyo failed to present new arguments since the ones raised in his motion for reconsideration had already been addressed in the Court’s earlier decision on the matter issued on Sept. 22, 2008.

In the September 2008 ruling, the CA said the Makati court could proceed hearing the class suit filed by the journalists.

The class suit was filed by Ninez Cacho-Olivares, Marites Vitug, Glenda Gloria, Ricky Carandang, Romulo Mariñas, Gina Capili-Inciong, Gerry Baldo, Sherwin Olaes, Lito Tugadi, Jing Santos, Lito Banayo, Maria Concepcion Cruz, Miriam Grace Go, Romina Gonzalez, Gemma Bagayaua, William Esposo, Jose Pavia, Rowena Paraan, Sweet May Cawicaan;

Jofelle Tesorio, Jose Bimbo Santos, Rachel Khan, Ma. Christina Rodriguez, Yvonne Chua, Alcuin Papa, Ramon Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, Conrado de Quiros, Vergel Santos JP Lopez, Regina Bengco, Minnie Advincula, Ellen Tordesillas, Francisco Tatad, and media organizations Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism Inc. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Traditional media remain popular (http://http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090302-191902/Traditional-media-remain-popular)

By Eileen Hee
Asia News Network
First Posted 14:19:00 03/02/2009


KUALA LUMPUR—Despite the immense hype about new media and their ability to trigger product interest among consumers, traditional mass media such as TV and print still triumph when it comes to eliciting purchase desire across most product categories, according to the latest study by Omnicom Media Group (OMG).

OMG Malaysia managing director Andreas Vogiatzakis says the Pathway study, which maps the consumer’s purchase journey, is made of a series of relationships between brand and consumers through different dimensions such as purchase duration, the buying stages and the role of media.

“Pathway revealed that traditional mass media still command a significant role in the age of new media,” he tells StarBizWeek.

The survey covered eight markets across Asia: Malaysia, India, Singapore, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

He says across the region, 79 percent of respondents claimed their interest to purchase was triggered by advertisements in traditional media as opposed to 18 percent from new media.

In Malaysia, it is 84 percent for traditional media versus 12 percent for new media, Vogiatzakis says.

According to him, such findings signify the relevance and importance of traditional media on stimulating purchase interest despite the emerging digital media for the general adult population here.

Under the Pathway research study, over 600 consumers in four key market centers in Malaysia (namely Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh and Johor Baru) were interviewed.

A total of 5,250 people were interviewed.

“The duration of a consumer’s purchase journey is indicative of the amount of time a prospect is open to communications,” he said.

A quick path means advertisers have no time to waste in establishing effective communications with consumers, Vogiatzakis says.

“For example, for car purchases, shoppers may refer to newspapers, read online reviews, visit showrooms, test different models, discuss with family members and friends, and then return to these stages before committing to the purchase,” he says.

Vogiatzakis says Pathway pinpoints how consumers go about making their purchases and is an essential tool to the company as well as the marketers.

“Pathway helps us to understand what information to put in and when to put it in along the path of purchase,” he says, adding that findings by Pathway enabled the company to develop communication strategies and optimize the media opportunities for marketers.

On the outlook for the advertising industry, he says: “The forecast is bleak. The economy does not look rosy. We will work to get our insights right, use our tools to the maximum and work closely with the media for the benefit of our clients.”

[tonight]

Pimentel stands firm on Right of Reply bill (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151003/Pimentel-stands-firm-on-Right-of-Reply-bill)

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. on Monday reaffirmed his stance on the Right of Reply Bill, saying that its purpose is to improve journalism and not to curtail press freedom.

“The bill is only made for those who abuse their power and neglect their responsibilities. Good media practitioners should not be scared with this bill," Pimentel said at the weekly Kapihan sa Manila news forum.

He reiterated his point that if the press criticizes people publicly through media outfits, then the media must allow people being subject to criticisms to defend selves using the same facility.

But he said that editors would still decide where and when the reply would be placed.

“It would also be up to the editors and publishers if the statement is being used for black propaganda," Pimentel added.

“I welcome all criticisms against this bill. It will help us refine its provisions. We are in a democratic country, there is always room for criticisms," he said.

[venntro]

IFJ welcomes press freedom commitment, new Asean body (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151107/IFJ-welcomes-press-freedom-commitment-new-Asean-body)
03/03/2009 | 10:17 AM

MANILA, Philippines - An international media watchdog group welcomed Tuesday the formation of the Legislative Caucus on Rights and Free Expression, a new regional body of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to promote press freedom.

The International Federation of Journalists noted the formation of the Caucus was announced at the 14th Asean summit in Thailand last February 28.

"The IFJ encourages the Legislative Caucus on Rights and Free Expression to take an active role in opening stronger lines of dialogue between Southeast Asian governments and the international human rights and press freedom communities," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said.

"In 2008, nine journalists in the Philippines, four in Thailand and one in Cambodia were killed while conducting their professional work. In 2009, the Philippines has already seen the murder of a radio journalist and the attempted murder of another," IFJ added.

IFJ added press freedom and the safety of journalists in Southeast Asia is a significant concern for it.

Members of the Caucus include Cambodian MP Yim Sovann, Indonesian MP Djoko Susilo, Senator Francis Pangilinan and Rep. Teodoro Casino of the Philippines, and Thailand MPs Buranaj Smutharaks and Kraisak Choonhasan.

"We believe that the dream of a true Asean Community and the formation of an Asean Human Rights Body must recognize free expression, press freedom, and people’s access to information as essential to human rights," the Caucus said in a statement issued on February 28.

Aside from the situation in the Philippines, IFJ noted journalists in Indonesia continue to face threats of imprisonment under archaic criminal defamation laws.

It noted a high-profile media advocate and leader of the Coalition of Journalists Against Criminalization of the Press, Upi Asmaranda, is currently on trial for allegedly "provoking journalists to resist the head of the South Sulawesi Regional Police Office."

"The Caucus’s acknowledgement of the UN Declaration of Human Rights as minimum standards for human rights across all countries in Southeast Asia is a positive step," IFJ said.

"The IFJ looks forward to observing implementation of these standards in Asean countries, including standards applying to freedom of expression and the rights of journalists to conduct their work without fear of harm or restriction," it added.

IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide. - GMANews.TV

[tonight]

Media stands pat vs Right of Reply bill (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090303-192104/Media-stands-pat-vs-Right-of-Reply-bill)
By Erika Tapalla

MANILA, Philippines – Members of the media have continued to oppose the Right of Reply bill despite advice not to take a hardline position on the issue.

In a dialogue sponsored by Speaker Prospero Nograles Tuesday, media practitioners stood pat on their move to “Kill Bill,” citing its unconstitutionality and infringement on press freedom.

Instead of taking a hardline position, Nograles suggested that media should discuss the bill, which the Senate had passed, “line by line” so that the objections could be noted.

"Let us go line by line on the bill so we know your objections. We cannot have a hard line position kaagad [immediately] – maiipit lahat tayo diyan [we will be caught in the middle]. Meron din kaming mga proposed amendments na gustong ilagay [We also have our proposed amendments that we would want to include]. This is how we want to proceed," Nograles said.

But Vergel Santos of Businessworld said the bill was “something that was not open to negotiation,” a “constitutional issue” that “abridges our freedom” because “it prevents us from doing what we like to do before we even do it.”

The bill, which allows anyone and everyone alluded to or criticized by a media organization the right to reply in the same media firm, is up for debate at the House plenary.

Nograles said the House would wait for media to submit their arguments against the bill.

He added that the House could vote on the proposal "at any time" after it had passed the committee level.

But Makati Congressman Teodoro Locsin Jr. said that there were a number of his colleagues who not supporting the bill and who if approached, could help reiterate media’s objections on the floor.

"Many congressmen are against the bill. If you [media] have champions, you'll fight this," Locsin said.

In an interview with INQUIRER.net, Locsin said that the bill must go through the proper process.

"We don't want to just sit on this bill just like no one would want us to sit on the agrarian reform. We also don't want to be accused of just not passing it without really going through it. So let's do this properly through the right, democratic process," Locsin said.

Locsin also pointed out that perhaps an amendment to the right of reply bill, instead of being open to everyone, should exclude public officials.

[venntro]

House to review Right of Reply bill (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=445374&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
By Delon Porcalla Updated March 04, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles and leaders of the House of Representatives agreed yesterday with media executives to take a second, closer look at the Right of Reply bill.

During a dialogue with media executives, Nograles said it would be difficult for the House leadership to withdraw this bill.

“We would like you to study (the bill) and (suggest) what amendments to introduce,” he said.

“You have to give us reason to stall, because we are also under some kind of pressure. This dialogue will find out if we can justify reasons to delay the passage of the bill.”

Makati Rep. Teddyboy Locsin, a former newspaper publisher, advised the media to “go after the senators.”

“Twenty-one senators were unanimous in approving the bill, but three of them – all presidential aspirants – suddenly wanted to withdraw their signatures,” he said.

“There is unique silence of those characters at the Senate. Those characters with P200-million pork barrel, why are they not attacked? For all we know, we might not approve it in the House.

“There are many congressmen who are against the bill. We can talk that to death, if we have champions we can find it. Remember how long this bill can take. There is no obligation for us to pass it at all.

“I think you should go after the senators. In the House, it is still in the period of amendments. I don’t understand the unique silence, I don’t understand why media were silent about it.”

Vergel Santos, BusinessWorld editorial board chairman, said the Right of Reply Bill seeks to abridge and diminish the freedom of the press, which is not open to negotiation.

“What we want to put forward is the simple idea that this bill prevents us from doing what we like before we can do it,” he said.

Among the House leaders present at the dialogue were Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, House committee on public information chairman, and Representatives Luis Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, Crispin Remulla of Cavite and Matias Defensor of Quezon City, and Deputy Speaker for Visayas Raul del Mar.

Nograles earlier scored presidential aspirants at the Senate who wanted to withdraw their support for the Right of Reply Bill after 21 senators had already endorsed the bill.

“If records show that the House has received their bill then sorry, but it’s too late for senators to withdraw their votes on this bill,” he said.

“We are now checking House records bills and index section. We received this bill as early as July 2008.”

Nograles said the Right of Reply Bill must go “hand-in-hand” with the decriminalization of libel.

Approval of the bill might take a little more time as Nograles raised the need for more dialogue with stakeholders to ensure that the measure will not trample on freedoms of the press and expression.

Last week, the House also approved on second reading a companion bill (House Bill 5760) and a counter-balance – the decriminalization of libel.

Nograles said he would like to hold more dialogues and consultations with stakeholders before recommending to the committee on public information the bill’s endorsement to the plenary.

“Personally, I support this measure but it should go hand-in-hand with the proposal to decriminalize libel,” he said.

“Let’s face it, while some media practitioners always make it a point to balance their stories by getting all sides before publication or airing, there are also some who do not.

“On the other hand, many of the media practitioners that I’ve talked to also complain that public officials do not answer calls when they are asked to reply on issues raised against them.”

Nograles also proposed that all government agencies and public officials should designate accessible spokesmen to answer calls from the media.

“So they can be given the chance to reply when issues are raised against them,” he said.

[venntro]

Media groups vow stiff defense against RORB (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151269/Media-groups-vow-stiff-defense-against-RORB)
03/04/2009 | 09:02 AM

MANILA, Philippines - After failing to come to terms with lawmakers, media groups vowed Wednesday to stage a “man-to-man" defense against the passage of the Right of Reply Bill in Congress.

National Press Club president Benny Antiporda said they will not allow the passage of the RORB, which he likened to a “beautiful woman with AIDS."

“Parang last two minutes na tayo, kailangan man-to-man na ang bantay natin [We are in the homestretch of Congress’ sessions. We need to mount a man-to-man defense]," he said in an interview on dzXL radio.

He said the bill is like a “beautiful woman" because of its “beautiful title" and because of its promise to ensure the right of parties to reply to negative stories. But the "woman" has “AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)" because of its threat to fine or even jail journalists who “violate" the measure.

“Ang title napakaganda pero nilalaman nito ay provision na naglalaman sa malayang pagpapahayag [The title is beautiful but the provisions threaten press freedom]," he said.

In the meantime, he said, the NPC is doing its part to ensure fairness in press freedom by getting rid of “hao shao" or fake journalists.

In an interview on dzXL radio, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez Jr. said Malacañang will still wait for the final form of the RORB before President Arroyo decides to veto it or not. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Solon urges authors to use Congress break to revise Right of Reply Bill (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/151304/Solon-urges-authors-to-use-Congress-break-to-revise-Right-of-Reply-Bill)
03/04/2009 | 12:33 PM

MANILA, Philippines - House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr. on Wednesday urged authors of the Right of Reply Bill (RORB) in the House of Representatives to use the month-long Congress break to review and rewrite the controversial measure.

In a weekly forum in Quezon City, Defensor said lawmakers behind the crafting of House Bill 3306 should collate and consider media groups and organizations' reactions.

He said, since authors of the bill are already proposing amendments to the committee-approved measure, they should use the session recess time - from March 7 to April 12 - to revise the proposal should they finally decide to do so.

Also, he said the House is in no hurry to pass the measure, adding "We have all the time to review the wisdom of the bill as written."

HB 3306's principal author, Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella, introduced last week amendments that will supposedly soften the measure, which media organizations have considered as "an attack" on press freedom.

The bill is currently on second reading or the period of sponsorship and amendments.

Defensor said there are several options the House could take for the RORB, even as Senate approved and transmitted to the House as early as July 2008 its version.

The House leadership may conduct a survey or an all-member caucus when session resumes on April 13 to decide whether they will put the final draft of the bill to a vote on the floor or archive it until the 14th Congress ends on June 2010, he said.

"We have the luxury of time as far as this bill is concerned. This is not an urgent bill so there is no reason for us to hurry," said the lawmaker, although he maintained that the bill cannot be brought back to the committee-level because it has already been approved by the committee on public information.

An official of the National Press Club, however, said his group will not participate in efforts to amend the measure because the NPC wants it scrapped.

"We'd rather go for the outright junking of the bill," NPC director Joel Egco said in the same press conference.

Egco said there are enough mechanisms to keep the media in check, such as the libel law and the fair elections law, so there is no need to legislate a measure that will mandate the publication or broadcast of certain editorial materials.

"We'd rather go for an entirely libelous media than a partly regulated one," Egco added.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo likewise said there are already mechanisms within the media for the redress of grievances, adding that the militant bloc in the House views the measure as unconstitutional because it infringes on press freedom.

Ocampo expressed dismay that the bill may indicate lawmakers' distrust on the media.

"Does this reflect distrust on the part of the legislature of the media?" he said.

National People's Media and Press Center spokesperson Jose Torres agreed with Ocampo, saying the measure "reveals the Jurassic and obsolete mentality of legislators."

On Tuesday, Defensor, Speaker Prospero Nograles and several other legislators met with leaders of media outfits and organizations to discuss the controversial measure. Both camps however failed to strike a consensus as the media groups maintained their stance that the bill should be junked. - Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV

[venntro]

CBCP backs media in denouncing Right of Reply bill (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=445965&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
Updated March 06, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Catholic bishops are backing the media in its campaign to stop Congress from passing the Right of Reply bill.

Monsignor Pedro Quitorio III, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines spokesman, said yesterday the bill seeks to infringe on the freedom of the press as guaranteed by the Constitution.

“It is not democratic or political as some legislators might want to understand it,” he said. “It is about the truth and the editorial way of presenting it.”

Once it becomes law, the Right of Reply bill would require a news organization to give equal space or air time to a person or entity that is the subject of a negative story or report.

Journalists fear that they would receive a “deluge of replies” before next year’s elections that would give free publicity to candidates.

“The cost of compliance would be a flood of so-called ‘replies’ among which one can expect more than a fair amount of efforts at free and biased publicity, at the cost of reporting on other issues of public interests,” said the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.

A similar Right of Reply bill has been struck down as unconstitutional in the United States, it added. – Evelyn Macairan

[beads_strawberries]

The Right of reply bill is not even supported by the president if it will curtail the constitutional guarantee of press freedom. The president already said she may veto the bill if the freedom of the press will not be respected. She was saying that even if she is also subjected to so many biased stories and news of the media. At least, she knows she just have to work just like what other members of the press doing.

But of course, this is a clear message to the media that they should responsible journalism because not everyone can tolerate them. They could not always hinge their relaxed rule to their rights if they cannot do their responsibility.

[venntro]

Focap joins opposition to Right of Reply bill (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=447234&publicationSubCategoryId=63)
By Aurea Calica Updated March 10, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Even if the right of reply bill being pushed by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. does not cover members of the foreign media, the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) expressed opposition to it and called on legislators to withdraw support for the measure.

“If passed into law, the proposed legislation will violate freedom of the press. It constitutes prior restraint and interferes with editorial judgment by telling reporters and editors what and what not to write, publish and broadcast. In addition, it decides how much space and time should be given to one side of the story, undermining editorial discretion in consideration of other news stories of greater public interest,” FOCAP said in a statement.

FOCAP said it “strongly doubts” claims that the proposed law would help end media killings.

“We believe the only way to stop media killings is a determined effort by authorities and concerned citizens to eradicate the culture of impunity in the Philippines by catching the killers and masterminds, prosecuting and convicting them in a swift and convincing manner. Using this ‘right’ to stop murder is like using a slingshot to kill a tiger,” the group said.

FOCAP argued the bill was against the Philippine Constitution, “which clearly states that there should be no law passed to abridge the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

“As a professional group established at the height of martial law purposely to overcome media controls, FOCAP is keenly aware of and is sensitive to any threats to a free press,” it said.

The group also expressed belief the bill was unnecessary because “it is a basic right of anyone to defend himself anywhere, including in the media.”

“Persons who somehow feel aggrieved by what appears in the media have many ways to protect and defend their rights and interests. They can write to complain to the media entity or the journalists concerned or even bring a case to court,” FOCAP said.

“In many instances, it is actually more difficult for the media to get replies from persons who are subject of news stories. We, as journalists, have often faced numerous obstacles in getting comments from concerned parties. What we ought to have instead is a law that compels people — especially government officials and corporations — to reply, react or comment when public interest is affected. Congress also should speed up passage of a Freedom of Information Act,” FOCAP stressed.

FOCAP believes that only the principle of fair play and balanced reporting – the hallmarks of responsible journalism – will ensure that the “other side” is given a voice in any media platform. “Legislating this just won’t work,” it said.

[venntro]

Irony of RORB (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=447362&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
HIDDEN AGENDA By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes Updated March 11, 2009 12:00 AM


Isn’t it ironic that the chief architect of the Right of Reply Bill (RORB) should be opposition senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.?

But isn’t it more ironic that it was Malacañang that spurned the passage of the bill?

Frankly, we cannot recall any instance in which media had “victimized” Pimentel by depriving him the “right” to reply.

In fact, we cannot recall any instance where Pimentel was vilified in media. What we remember is that, for the most part, it was Pimentel who has used media to attack his political nemeses, the Palace in particular.

And for the most part, those whom he accused were the ones who never got to reply.

Not only ironic, but puzzling. It’s a fact that that when Pimentel speaks, it almost always gets media mileage, especially when it is an attack on the President or the First Gentleman.

So, why is Pimentel moving heaven and earth to have a bill which tends to portray media reporting as innately biased, unfair and imbalanced into law?

It cannot be helped but for the question to be asked whether or not Pimentel is doing this for somebody else or for some interests unknown to all of us. He could not be doing this for his own protection since he has always been a media darling.

For the most part, our legislators have always been on the offense-side as far as media presence is concerned.

One of the rare instances where a lawmaker came under fire in media was that unfortunate episode in the life of former Senate President Manny Villar who was accused by fellow senators of double-insertion into the national budget which would have benefited his vast property holdings south of Manila.

Yet, we do not recall media depriving Villar of the chance to reply to accusations or to mount his own counter-offensive.

So, who needs a right to reply backed by threats of stiff sanctions against media?

Definitely not our legislators.

If at all, it is the President who would have demanded for such right. In fairness to the chief executive, she had been mostly at the receiving end of brickbats and media criticism. Still, the President has opted to spurn the RORB.

The fact is that the ability to reply in media or the lack of it may have much to do with the approval ratings of the Palace. The ratings may have nothing to do with performance. It has more to do with the inability to engage her political nemeses in sustained and protracted media wars.

At the end of the day, Senator Pimentel and company may not be standing on solid ground in the effort to portray media as being unfair and biased against them. They must admit that when they speak, they land in print and broadcast media.

Senator Pimentel made a name in national politics because of media. That is a fact that he cannot deny.

And that is a fact that has made the RORB one really big irony.

Not so hidden agenda

Last March 2 at the Manila Hotel, women’s groups headed by the UP Center For Women Studies Foundation, Committee on Women of Congress, Ugnayan ng Kababaihan sa Pulitika, Asian Women’s Network on Gender and Development, and Banahaw Sustainable Development Center hosted an early celebration of Women’s Month and the launching of Justice Leonor Ines Luciano’s biography.

The foreword of the book is authored by no less than Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno; and the preface by Justice Ameurfina Melencio Herrera, president of the Philippine Judicial Academy. Testimonials came from former President Fidel Ramos, the late Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma, Philippine National Red Cross secretary general Corazon Alma De Leon and Bishop Roland Tirona.

The book chronicles the achievements of Justice Luciano as a jurist introducing innovations in the treatment of juvenile offenders, inter-country adoptions, family interventions, and as member of the expert team which produced the Child and Youth Welfare Code, and later the New Family Code.

On the humanitarian side, she relocated thousands of families of juvenile offenders from their crime-ridden surroundings in Quezon City, to two Tanglaw Villages providing them housing and livelihood opportunities. She also set up the first detention home for youth with court cases, “The Molave Youth Home” to separate them from hardened criminals in crowded city jails.

As sectoral epresentative for women for two terms, she drafted and authored laws which protected women from trafficking and domestic violence including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and raised their level of equality economically, politically, and socially with the elimination of discrimination.

Economically, with the support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Trade and Industry, her Countryside Development Fund and the Presidential Fund, she was able to establish more than 400 women’s cooperatives all over the country to help women overcome their dependence and subjugation to men, and establish Women’s Development and Resource Centers in 14 cities to provide women with capacity-building programs.

Today, Justice Luciano heads the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Committee, protecting victims of armed conflict, abused OFWs and their families, and recently established a holding and crisis center for returning OFWs with the help of the Philippine Amusement and Games Corporation (PAGCOR), through the International Social Service Philippines President Katherine Gordon.

As a religious leader she headed the Catholic Women’s League for two terms, clarifying women’s role under Vatican II in a church undergoing “aggionarmento.” As a civic leader, she headed the National Council of Women in the Philippines (NCWP), publishing more than 20 primers explaining to women the intricacies of laws and how to take advantage of them. Now, she works for the Coalition on Decency and Morality in the face if today’s moral downtrend.

[venntro]

Negros media unite vs right of reply bill (http://http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090311-193567/Negros-media-unite-vs-right-of-reply-bill)
By Carla Gomez
Visayas Bureau
First Posted 15:43:00 03/11/2009


BACOLOD CITY, Philippines -- Various media groups in Negros Occidental have banded together to oppose the right of reply bill and fight for the preservation of a free press.

In a resolution initiated by the Negros Press Club and signed on Tuesday, the media groups expressed their opposition to the right of reply bill authored by Senator Aquilino Pimentel and Bacolod Representative Monico Puentevella, even as they called on the two legislators to withdraw their versions of the measure.

"We take note of the irony that Pimentel is a lawyer who once defended victims of human rights violations during the dark days of Martial Law, while Puentevella, who hails from this province, was once president of the oldest media organization in the country, the Negros Press Club," the media groups pointed out in their resolution.

The signatories of the resolution include the Negros Press Club, the Negros Media Council for Press Freedom, the Congress of Active Media Practitioners, National Union of Journalists in the Philippines-Negros, the City Hall Press Corp, reporters covering the provincial capitol and the Council of Past Presidents of the Negros Press Club.

The resolution also called on the media and the people to close ranks against the passage of the bill, to challenge it before the Supreme Court if it is passed, and if that fails, to defy it by refusing to comply.

"No less than our freedoms are at stake. This is a battle we cannot afford to lose," the resolution said.

The Negros media groups also called the right of reply bill self-serving legislation crafted without the necessary consultations.

"We cannot allow the sins of a few to be an excuse for the wholesale muzzling of a free press and the suppression of free expression. To allow so would allow bad governance to triumph," they added.

Aside from coming up with the resolution, the Negros Occidental media groups will also hold a protest rally next week, according to Edgar Cadagat, president of the Negros Press Club, which is spearheading the move.

The Negros media groups also placed a streamer bearing the message "No to right of reply bill! Scrap right of reply bill! Uphold press freedom! No to state media repression!" at the Negros Media Center located in front of the Bacolod City public plaza.

Puentevella said Congress has put on hold the right of reply bill to allow further deliberation because the legislature was also sensitive to the sentiments of media.

[JulZ]

napansin nyo ba laging sinasabi ni Arnold clavio(sa unang hirit news)..."ako naman.. arnold clavio" kahit na wla namang tao ang nagintroduce ng sarili before him....wla lang:lol:

[tonight]

Mindanao media slams right of reply bill (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090324-195971/Mindanao-media-slams-right-of-reply-bill)
By Julie Alipala

Disappointed with Senator Pimentel

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines--The media community here and from the provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-tawi slammed Senator Aquilino Pimentel for pushing the right of reply bill.

In a statement issued after Monday's forum on the bill, the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) said what was even more disappointing was that it was proposed by Pimentel "who established his reputation as a human and civil rights defender and advocate.

"Is it not enough that many Mindanao journalists have been killed and harassed and continue to fear for their lives in the course of faithfully discharging our sacred duty to the people so that the good Senator further terrorizes and penalizes us with the threat of statutory extreme prejudice?" the NUJP statement said.

The media group said Pimentel could have proposed measures to put an end to the attacks on media people but he instead wanted to muzzle the press.

The fact that many of the attacks occurred in Mindanao did not encourage the senator to move against attacks on journalists, the NUJP said.

The NUJP said of the 64 cases of media killings under the Arroyo's administration, 43 took place in Mindanao.

Vic Solis, lawyer of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, said there was really no need to pass the right of reply bill.

He said that the right to free speech and expression was already covered by the Bill of Rights.

Solis also said House Bill 33306 and the one approved by the Senate, 2150, would clearly violate the freedom of the press.

"I am against the right of reply bill in its original form, against any watered down reply bill. I am against any form of intrusion by the Philippine and local government into the affairs of media because precisely this is already covered in the Bill of Rights, right to free speech, expression," Solis said as he rallied journalists against the measure.

Darwin Wee, chair of the NUJP for Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi (Zambasulta), described both versions of the right of reply bill as "abominable attempts to muzzle press freedom and strangle the people's right to untrammeled information as the foundation of nation's democracy."

[absinthe_888]

napansin nyo ba laging sinasabi ni Arnold clavio(sa unang hirit news)..."ako naman.. arnold clavio" kahit na wla namang tao ang nagintroduce ng sarili before him....wla lang:lol:

style na nya yun, kahit sa saksi, at sa emergency dati:lol:

nakakaasar si ted failon, todo pa slang pa...

[WawaY[625]]

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/04/15/09/ted-failons-wife-fighting-her-life

ABS-CBN TV Patrol news anchor Ted Failon's wife was brought to the hospital Wednesday and is fighting for her life, according to ABS-CBN corporate communications head Bong Osorio.

"We appeal to everyone to please respect the privacy of Ted Failon and his family," Osorio said. "His wife is fighting for her life."

Mr. Failon has requested in the meantime that no details of the incident which happened Wednesday in the family home in Quezon City be reported.

pero kung sa iba nangyari puputaktihin ng media para makakuha ng info "because the public has the right to know"

naalala ko tuloy ang article na ito

ON FRIDAY we read the shocking news that a local policeman had shot his wife and then turned the gun on himself, all in front of the couple's 10-year-old daughter.

Even more shocking was ABS-CBN's early evening news coverage of the event. There were the still warm bodies, blood spattered everywhere, and a reporter shoving a microphone into the face of a 10-year-old girl, interrogating a kid who must have been scared out of her wits.

Has there been a peep of protest from Davao's child welfare groups? No sir. Has there been a single line of negative opinion from our supposedly child-friendly newspapers? No sir. If it's got media mileage bring it on. Hypocrites, the lot of you.

[Wind Shear]

@Waway[625]

I guess its time to rely the news more on SSC and your friend's blogs. :D

Good thing is I don't watch TV for local channels.

[WawaY[625]]

naiirita lang talaga ako sa media natin :lol:

[Sleepwalker]

@Waway[625]

I guess its time to rely the news more on SSC and your friend's blogs. :D

Good thing is I don't watch TV for local channels.

For irritating news, turn on your TV and tune in to GMA or ABS-CBN

For too good to be true news, listen to our politicians.

Para sa katotohanang walang pinapanigan, SSC na po tayo....Hehehehehe

[beads_strawberries]

Media will always go for something controversial, but not necessarily the truth. The fact that an issue is controversial will make it more appealing to them. Maybe they thought they could perpetually persuade the people to listen to their stories and believe it wholeheartedly.

Sometimes I don't want to listen to the news because it's not the objective type of news that I have always wanted. They will always add something to it to the extent that it will not be the objective type of news that we should be getting.

[Wind Shear]

Media will always go for something controversial, but not necessarily the truth. The fact that an issue is controversial will make it more appealing to them. Maybe they thought they could perpetually persuade the people to listen to their stories and believe it wholeheartedly.

Sometimes I don't want to listen to the news because it's not the objective type of news that I have always wanted. They will always add something to it to the extent that it will not be the objective type of news that we should be getting.

Then I call the media an entertainment. And I am not entertained.

[JulZ]

kanina puro si ted failon ang napapanood ko sa tv. nakikita ko parang talagang humahanap ng butas ang mga otoridad para managot tlga si ted sa asawa nyang nabaril o binaril ang sarili. yun ang sa tingin ko...feel ko masyadong pinalaki tong issue..

Failon ordered placed under immigration watch list
04/16/2009 | 06:19 PM
MANILA, Philippines - News anchor Ted Failon was ordered placed under the Bureau of Immigration's watch list so that he could be deterred from leaving the country amid the on-going investigation into the shooting that seriously wounded Failon's wife, Trinidad Etong.

The order came from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, a radio station reported on Thursday. The report said Gonzalez made the order after the police said Failon could be one of the possible suspects in the incident.

Immigration spokesman lawyer Floro Balato confirmed to GMANew.TV that the bureau had already received a copy of the Department of Justice [DOJ] order at 12:17 p.m., which was sent through facsimile machine.

“The DOJ order will be implemented by the BI within the day," Balato said.

Once the order is implemented, the bureau will be required to inform the DOJ if Failon has any intention to leave the country.

“We have to inform the Justice secretary if there would be any intended departure," Balato said, adding that the DOJ would still be the one deciding on whether Failon would be allowed to leave the country.

Investigators from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) rushed to Failon’s residence in Tierra Pura Homes in Quezon City after being informed that the broadcaster’s wife had just been rushed to a hospital after sustaining a gunshot wound in her head.

Aside from Failon, other members of his household including his driver Glenn Ponan, and three house maids Carlota Morbos, Wilfreda Bullecer and Pacifico Apacible are all being considered as suspects in the shooting incident.

Obstruction of justice charges could be filed against the driver and the housemaids for allegedly tampering with supposed police evidence, including cleaning up blood stains in the bathroom and in the vehicle used to bring Trinidad to the hospital.

Also, the guns and empty shells found in the bathroom had apparently been removed from their original position by the housemaids. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV

[Narnian_King]

^The Police sucks.

V1UjIZSXNmI

[race]

@Waway[625]

I guess its time to rely the news more on SSC and your friend's blogs. :D

Good thing is I don't watch TV for local channels.

I couldn't agree more with the fact that relying on blogs/ssc since stuff being presented are taken into consideration.

[bitoy]

^The Police sucks.

They do!

Condolence to the family, but that video shows the arresting team on how disrespectful they are.

And it's really a good thing that the media were there and capture all of these, papano pa pagkakatiwalaan ang mga pulis na dapat ay pangalagaan nila ang mamamayan. There are lapses on both sides, maybe Failon was trying to cover something up, but being charge and arrested for abstruction of justice for an alleged suicide is not right. ( I think).
I know this is not funny, but I think I heard from one of the officials that the body and other evidences should not be removed from the bathroom until the police can have an initial investigation. My gosh! --- she was found still bleeding and some sign of life, kaya dinala sa hospital. And the cleanup of the house could be a mental lapse on the family's part but since they assumed that was a suicide attempt, it is alright to clean the place.

Here's an interview of the sister of Ted's wife.

c8FUPk0twg8


Btw, the police hasn't answered this question:

Did the wife tested positive of a paraffin test?

[Lili]

Also, the wound was in the left temple of the wife's head, right? Check if the wife is left-handed or not.

[Lili]

(UPDATE) from Philippine Star
Failon's wife negative for gunpowder residue -- QCPD
Updated April 17, 2009 07:56 AM

MANILA, Philippines -- The late wife of broadcast journalist Ted Failon was tested negative for gunpowder residue, a radio report said today.

Trinidad Etong, 45, was subjected to a paraffin test by the Quezon City Police District forensics team right after passing away last night at the New Era General Hospital.

Etong died from a gunshot wound in the head.

The report said police investigators who autopsied the body also found out that the point of entry of the bullet was the right temple of the victim and went through the other side. Etong was said to be left- handed.

Failon, Mario Teodoro Failon Etong in real life, claimed he found his wife sprawled and bloodied inside the comfort room of their home on 27 General Aquino street, Tierra Pura Subdivision in Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Wednesday.

[bitoy]

^^ It's getting complicated now. I need to watch this in GMA tv, TFC doesn't cover as much about this issue. I hope the truth will come out and the police should realize that they have other things to do.

[Lili]

^ What other things to do? Isn't it part of what they should do? Investigate the matter thoroughly and not just dismiss it as suicide?

When a person is harmed or dies of suspicious circumstances, the matter should be investigated.

[bledzoe]

...
And it's really a good thing that the media were there and capture all of these, papano pa pagkakatiwalaan ang mga pulis na dapat ay pangalagaan nila ang mamamayan. There are lapses on both sides, maybe Failon was trying to cover something up, but being charge and arrested for abstruction of justice for an alleged suicide is not right. ( I think).


obstruction of justice mate. :)

[manila_eye]

^ What other things to do? Isn't it part of what they should do? Investigate the matter thoroughly and not just dismiss it as suicide?

When a person is harmed or dies of suspicious circumstances, the matter should be investigated.

Amen. Being tested negative to gun powder [dead wife] the case will only get more interesting as well as the need for thorough and precise investigation.

[venntro]

^ What other things to do? Isn't it part of what they should do? Investigate the matter thoroughly and not just dismiss it as suicide?

When a person is harmed or dies of suspicious circumstances, the matter should be investigated.

^^ Agree. Although there are some lapses, the police force should remain firm on the investigation process. In investigating such cases, the police should not be accommodating and just readily believe all the statements. They should have doubting minds to ferret out the truth and to be able to pinpoint inconsistencies. That way, it will aide them in ultimately arriving at the most plausible scenario of the incident for the sake of the deceased.

[bitoy]

^ What other things to do? Isn't it part of what they should do? Investigate the matter thoroughly and not just dismiss it as suicide?

When a person is harmed or dies of suspicious circumstances, the matter should be investigated.

Lahat ng agencies nakisawsaw na kasi, I know it's a big deal for a famous person involved in such an issue, pero naman, from Justice secretary to immigration wanted to be on camera to prove a point.
In case you missed some video on GMA tv website, during the paraffin test on Ted Failon, yung ibang pulis nagpapakuha ng picture sa likod niya.

obstruction of justice mate. :)

Yeah, I just mispelled the word, dapat nga din abstraction, since maraming press release ang mga pulis sa mga sinabi ng mga kasangbahay na iba iba.. :lol:, at para namang criminal na kaagad lahat na hinuli duon sa video.

[JulZ]

habang tumatagal, lalo akong naiinis sa mga pulis na nainvolve dun (lalo na dun sa mga humuli sa hipag at mga kapatid ng wife ni ted)..sarap gulpihin! overkill masyado! sana di lang sibakin sa imbestigasyon..sibakin na tlaga!

obstruction of justice???? leche!!! sinungaling pala yang paraffin test na yan eh! 1960's pa daw itinigil ang paggamit nyang procedure..grabe.

[Sleepwalker]

Hindi at hindi na talaga makukuha nang mga pulis natin ang respeto nang sambayanan...Akala mo kung sino maka-asta.

Buti sana kung sila na lang ang ipadala doon sa giyera between terrorist group and the arm forces...At least kung matiklo man sila doon, ok na rin.

Hitting two birds in one stone... :)

Mabuti pa yong mga sundalo, at totoong ginagampanan yong tungkulin nila.

[Wind Shear]

obstruction of justice???? leche!!! sinungaling pala yang paraffin test na yan eh! 1960's pa daw itinigil ang paggamit nyang procedure..grabe.

Frankly, I can't believe that PNP still uses paraffin test for looking for gunshot primer residue until today.

Here's the link that will explain why we cannot rely on firearms forensics alone. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18825274.300

[bitoy]

The more the police give interviews about that incident, parang lalo silang nahuhulog sa balon. those arresting cops were relieved, tapos banat pa ng isang official, the police did the right thing daw! ..

I need to give this issue a rest and wait for the further outcome of the investigation ........



of the senate --- :lol:








sorry to laugh out loud, but condolence to the family.

[Lili]

Maybe the NBI should take over the investigation.

[crappypants]

so if any of you are planning to kill your spouse ,remember you will always be the no. one suspect.

[technoblaze]

with all the mess...
ABSCBN which probalbly aires failon side,, whereas NBN to the PNP side.. while GMA seems to have another story,
one channels views dosent match the other channels views.. and with the news getting sympathized.
.. where to listen?..
its getting more like a telenovela series..heheh

one thing for sure is that both sides had lapses.

[jpdm]

OA and stup!d pol!ce!

Why cant they do those th!ngs to rebels terro!st cr!m1nals and corrupt off!c!als!

Lagot s!la pag nagbweta na Fa!lon...

[richard24]

The police is at fault here. You don't file an obstruction of justice case to someone who doesn't have the criminal intent to cover up a crime.

And another mistake of the police are the warrantless arrests. All the prerequisites before a warrantless arrest can be justified, were not there. 1. inflagrante delicto, 2. hot pursuit. (nakalimutan ko kung merong iba, basta wala! 1st year ko pa to lecture eh). :lol:

[demented_pigeon]

The police is at fault here. You don't file an obstruction of justice case to someone who doesn't have the criminal intent to cover up a crime.

And another mistake of the police are the warrantless arrests. All the prerequisites before a warrantless arrest can be justified, were not there. 1. inflagrante delicto, 2. hot pursuit. (nakalimutan ko kung merong iba, basta wala! 1st year ko pa to lecture eh). :lol:

yung isa kung yung iaaresto ay escapee from final judgement or detention.

[Lili]

^^ BTW guys, quiz. If the sister refused to have her fingers paraffin tested and the police insisted, would that be testimonial compulsion?

If it tested positive, will that be admissible in evidence? Or will that be "fruit of the poisonous tree"?

(These are all hypotheticals.)

[jpdm]

Bopols yung mga pul!s!!:bash::bash:
Tapos S! Raul (o) Gonzales nangts!sms pa. ala boy abunda!!

[demented_pigeon]

^^ BTW guys, quiz. If the sister refused to have her fingers paraffin tested and the police insisted, would that be testimonial compulsion?

If it tested positive, will that be admissible in evidence? Or will that be "fruit of the poisonous tree"?

(These are all hypotheticals.)

nice question...

[demented_pigeon]

The police is at fault here. You don't file an obstruction of justice case to someone who doesn't have the criminal intent to cover up a crime.

And another mistake of the police are the warrantless arrests. All the prerequisites before a warrantless arrest can be justified, were not there. 1. inflagrante delicto, 2. hot pursuit. (nakalimutan ko kung merong iba, basta wala! 1st year ko pa to lecture eh). :lol:

a very interesting observation by many lawyers was the police (in many parts of the country) penchant of filing obstruction of justice cases against people the police view as "asking too much questions." its a common tactic employed during martial law when human rights lawyers questioned warrantless arrests of activists.

[newgabskii]

^^ justice system in the country is simply unjust! :bash:

[jpdm]

Buti nga na-suspend yung mga QCPD pulis.

OA na bobo pa kasi.

Si injustice secretary tsismoso naman.

[Wind Shear]

with all the mess...
ABSCBN which probalbly aires failon side,, whereas NBN to the PNP side.. while GMA seems to have another story,
one channels views dosent match the other channels views.. and with the news getting sympathized.
.. where to listen?..
its getting more like a telenovela series..heheh

one thing for sure is that both sides had lapses.

That's why media becomes entertainment. And I am not even entertained at the first place.

[jpdm]

ayan nadale tuloy yung QCPD, suspended pa mga pulis.

Hindi kasi ginamit utak e.

nakatingin pa media.

Buti nga nandun media e.

Kung ako yun gaganunin at mainpluwensya ako hindi lang suspension ang ibibigay ko sa mga pulis kundi termination.

Parang hindi sila namamatayan ng kamag-anak.

[johnmizer]

pero what if namatay yung asawa ni ted dahil na stress sya sa mga pulis,

ewb ko ba bakit na headlines ito, ang dami dami naman nag suisuicide na pinoy na hinde na heheadlines, pero what if kug yung mga pulis ang dahilan sa pagkamatay nya...

[jpdm]

pero what if namatay yung asawa ni ted dahil na stress sya sa mga pulis,

ewb ko ba bakit na headlines ito, ang dami dami naman nag suisuicide na pinoy na hinde na heheadlines, pero what if kug yung mga pulis ang dahilan sa pagkamatay nya...


palagay ko.

sabi nung iba half-cnscious pa rin daw ang mga kaso ng kay trina kahit nakaratay sa hospital bed.

na bad trip siguro dahil hindi naramdaman yung presence ng mga kapatid sa tabi nya nung naghihingalo na.

Nag-ok na kasi vital signs bilang namatay.

Engots kasi mga pulis.

Obstruction of justice kukwelyuhan mo ay sisigawan yung kaanak na nagpoprotesta sa mala-hitler na pagdakip sa iyo?:bash::bash::bash:

[demented_pigeon]

pero what if namatay yung asawa ni ted dahil na stress sya sa mga pulis,

ewb ko ba bakit na headlines ito, ang dami dami naman nag suisuicide na pinoy na hinde na heheadlines, pero what if kug yung mga pulis ang dahilan sa pagkamatay nya...

Kaya dapat wag nang icover yan dahil personal business na yan ng pamilya nya. Its a family affair that nobody has a business with.

[BULLDOG]

so if any of you are planning to kill your spouse ,remember you will always be the no. one suspect.

Like Ted Failon case, actually dapat nga kasuhan na sya dahil maraming mga paglabag before the investigation. Ika nga malinis ang pagka gawa ng krimen at hindi ako naniniwalang may suicide na nagaganap.

[demented_pigeon]

Like Ted Failon case, actually dapat nga kasuhan na sya dahil maraming mga paglabag before the investigation. Ika nga malinis ang pagka gawa ng krimen at hindi ako naniniwalang may suicide na nagaganap.

you can't just file a case with an absence of evidence. The experts have already said they're not yet even certain if a crime has been committed. Every passing day has only been showing the plausibility that it is only a suicide.

[Lili]

^^ If it was a suicide, how come there are no powder burns in the hands of the deceased? Who pulled the trigger? If it was a suicide, did she wear or use some sort of hand protection? If one is going to commit suicide, why would that person have to do that? That's a bit implausible.

The paraffin-test is inconclusive only as to whether one actually fired the gun or was just contaminated by it, but not as to the absence of gun powder residue.

[jpdm]

Baka kasi inugasan ang kamay sa ospital kay ala ng powder burns.

Anyway, let's wait for the findings of the expert.

The point is the police showed its incompetence again.

Sikat kasi yung involve.

[technoblaze]

interesting... hmmm..i'll just look at it in a rational sense.

Ted
-not reporting the incident immediately
-alleged non cooperation(with QCPD)
-alleged cleanup of crime scene(bathroom, bedroom, car)
-delays in paraffin testing
-negative results of paraffin test on all family members
-refusal in surrendering trina's Cellphone
-delays in acquiring trina's Clothes


Police
the harsh arrest
the warrantless arrest
alleged non reading of the "Miranda warning" during the arrest
anything to add?:lol:

[bitoy]

interesting... hmmm..i'll just look at it in a rational sense.

Ted
-not reporting the incident immediately
-alleged non cooperation(with QCPD)
-alleged cleanup of crime scene(bathroom, bedroom, car)
-delays in paraffin testing
-negative results of paraffin test on all family members
-refusal in surrendering trina's Cellphone
-delays in acquiring trina's Clothes


Police
the harsh arrest
the warrantless arrest
alleged non reading of the "Miranda warning" during the arrest
anything to add?:lol:

There are clear infractions on both sides. The actions of the family is quite reasonable even if they have the intention of hiding the truth.
Namatayan sila and they are in a state of shock and grief.

About the actions of the arresting PNP officers, they really did the unthinkable (although they said that's their SOP ) for professionals to do their jobs.
But there must be someone who ordered that arrest in a very untimely manner. It could be a judge or a higher official.

In defense of Sup. Franklin Mabanag, he used to be a soft spoken person, kahit pili-pilipit mag ingles and he really care for everyone. He was a good cop..until ________ (just fill in the blanks.) ganyan yung sinabi ng barkada ko about him. :lol:
Siya yung nagbigay ng P2,000 sa isang swindler na Fil-Am daw na naholdaup at kelangan maka uwi sa Baguio, what a gutsy guy to make fun with the cops. :bash:

[Igsuonnimo]

Live kaninang umaga sa NBN Channel 4 ang MOA sa pagitan ng PSE-Tektite(Mr.Francis Lim) at NBN4(Mr.Jose Isabelo), ipinakita rin ang ceremonial ringing of bell.

Sana ay maging tulay itong media sa bansa sa pagkakaroon ng subject ang mga High School at College students tungkol sa capital markets at economic research.

[johnmizer]

kelan kaya babalik si ted sa tv patrol, it's as exciting as jorndan playing again after retiring

[venntro]

Cheche Lazaro eludes arrest, posts bail for wiretapping case (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/160409/Cheche-Lazaro-eludes-arrest-posts-bail-for-wiretapping-case)
05/08/2009 | 11:17 AM


BAILING OUT. Multi-awarded broadcast journalist Cheche Lazaro posts bail to escape arrest for wiretapping.MANILA, Philippines - Broadcast journalist Cecilia ‘Cheche’ Lazaro will post a P12,500 bail Friday morning to avoid arrest stemming from a wiretapping case filed against her in 2008.

Lazaro was accused by Government Service Insurance System Vice President Ella E. Valencerina of violating the anti-wiretapping law after airing parts of their phone conversation on her TV program “Probe".

The veteran journalist will post bail at the Pasay Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 47 after the court issued a warrant for her arrest on Thursday. In a statement, Lazaro bemoaned the case lodged against her by Valencerina.

"It is mind-boggling why I am being singled out for prosecution for following the tenets of responsible journalism," Lazaro said.

The Probe episode entitled, "Perwisyong Benepisyo" that was aired over ABS-CBN last Nov. 12, showed a video of Lazaro talking with Valencerina on the phone.

Valencerina, who also heads GSIS’ Public Relations and Communications Office, said Lazaro aired their conversation without her consent, and that the airing violated Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Act.

Lazaro has maintained that she asked Velencerina’s permission prior to the interview and stressed that she did not commit ethical violations in journalism.

"If raising the concerns of underpaid public school teachers deprived of their benefits by a publicly accountable government institution and giving my accuser the airtime to explain her boss' side of the story are now considered crimes under our laws, then I plead guilty," Lazaro said.

According to Court records, Probe decided to produce a feature or episode on the Premium-Based Policy in November 2008, implemented by the GSIS.

Under this policy, entitlement on the GSIS is based on the actual premium payments made instead of the length of service of the government employee concerned.

Teachers who were members of the GSIS complained that the policy "had unfairly deprived them of the benefits that they were entitled to, through no fault of their own as they had no control over the regularity of their premium payments."

This was because such payments were not made by them directly but by the Department of Education, through deductions from their monthly salaries, the court record added.

Meanwhile, Lazaro said the case against her is just a “small price to pay" for bringing the issue out in the open.

“Probe will not be intimidated into submission. I just wish my accuser will play fair and hire private lawyers instead of using government lawyers (from the GSIS), whose salaries are incidentally paid for by, among others, the teachers shortchanged by the questionable policy of the GSIS and private citizens like me who pay taxes.," she said. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

[venntro]

GSIS VP hit for 'press intimidation' (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/08/09/gsis-vp-hit-press-intimidation)
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 05/08/2009 12:02 PM


A warrant of arrest was issued Friday morning for journalist Cheche Lazaro for alleged wiretapping, a case which the veteran broadcaster said was a way of intimidating the press.

According to Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) vice president Ella Valencerina, Lazaro wiretapped their phone conversation in November 2008 and aired portions of it on ABS-CBN’s “Probe” without her consent.

Lazaro said she and her lawyers will be posting a P12,500 bail this afternoon at the Pasay City Hall of Justice.

The anchor of ANC’s “Media in Focus” will file bail at the building's room 205, branch 47, the sala of Judge Josephine Advento Vito Cruz.

“It is mind-boggling why I am being singled out for prosecution for doing my job as a responsible journalist [or for following the tenets of responsible journalism],” said Lazaro in a Probe statement.

“If raising the concerns of underpaid public school teachers deprived of their benefits by a publicly-accountable government institution and giving my accuser the airtime to explain her boss's side of the story are now considered crimes under our laws, then I plead guilty,” she added.

Lazaro explained on “Mornings @ ANC” that the Probe story pertains to the “retirement fund of teachers who have been working in the public school system for most of their life and who filed for retirement. And the case here is that these teachers did not get their full retirement benefits.”

“A teacher that we interviewed worked for a full 35 years but only got 32 years in benefits,” she noted.

“We thought that this is a public interest issue that needs to be addressed, that needs to be answered by a publicly-accountable government institution like the GSIS. And instead of focusing on the story of these teachers, they decided to focus on this wiretapping case,” said Lazaro.

Intimidation of the press?

She also related that she submitted a counter-affidavit stating that the phone interview, spanning close to 10 minutes, was taped. “Valencerina knew about this because I told her and we have tapes to prove that.”

She reasoned that Valencerina was “aware that the conversation was being taped and the portions that we issued on the episode that we presented on ABS-CBN were exactly the words that she used in a letter which she wrote us.”

Lazaro is the only one facing the wiretapping case at the moment. “They have made it a point to singularly point me out as the person who wiretapped the whole conversation that they alleged was wiretapping. That is not true,” she said.

“I think this is intimidation of the press. They are trying to send a message to the press and using me as a sample for this kind of a message,” she noted.

Lazaro, meantime, also mentioned in her statement, “This is a small price to pay for bringing a perfectly legitimate public interest issue out in the open.”

She continued, “I just wish my accuser(s) will play fair and hire private lawyers instead of using government lawyers (from the GSIS), whose salaries are incidentally paid for by, among others, the teachers shortchanged by the questionable policy of the GSIS and private citizens like me who pay taxes.”

“In the last 22 years, Probe has carved a niche in the industry and won recognition here and abroad for consistently adhering to time-honored journalistic values of accuracy, fairness and objectivity. My team and I have no plans of changing the way we work just to accommodate the personal agenda of people in power,” she concluded.

as of 05/08/2009 12:05 PM

[manila_eye]

^^So unethical of Cheche Lazaro.

[espresso1018]

The arrest of Cheche Lazaro was indeed shocking. The conversation alleged to have been wiretapped is material and that it involved public interest. However, we cannot disregard any possible lapses on the part of Lazaro and her team in releasing the taped interview. We must remember, responsible journalism is not practiced much by Philippine media. There are two sides in this incident. Both of them deserves to be heard.

[FlashCollider]

The arrest of Cheche Lazaro was indeed shocking. The conversation alleged to have been wiretapped is material and that it involved public interest. However, we cannot disregard any possible lapses on the part of Lazaro and her team in releasing the taped interview. We must remember, responsible journalism is not practiced much by Philippine media. There are two sides in this incident. Both of them deserves to be heard.

True. Both of them deserves to be heard in the proper forum.

[BULLDOG]

Most of the media personalities mga sinungaling ............. mga mukhang pera din :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno: kaya ang bagay sa kanila :bash::bash::bash::bash:

[kurapica]

The curse of singing journalists, atbp. (http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20100105-245528/The-curse-of-singing-journalists-atbp)
By John Nery
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:28:00 01/05/2010

Filed Under: Media, Television, Eleksyon 2010
I CAN’T get it out of my head, runs one typical comment in one of the many available YouTube versions. Watching ABS-CBN’s “Ako ang Simula” music video, we can easily see why. It is catchy, powerful, unforgettable. It is also wrong.

It blurs, in the name of good citizenship, the already heavily smudged line between journalism and entertainment.

I have many friends in the ABS-CBN newsroom, and its trio of leaders – Maria Ressa, Charie Villa and Glenda Gloria – I both know and admire. I am also quite aware that, under Maria’s management, the ABS-CBN newsroom has fought a difficult but largely successful battle to recover its sense of professionalism after the vertigo of the Estrada years. I have also written, in this space and elsewhere, about seeing this sense of professionalism at work in ABS-CBN and its cable showcase, ABS-CBN News Channel. (I have enjoyed the opportunity to think, or mumble, on air, as a guest of several shows on ANC.)

One more thing: I know the tireless Arlene Burgos and like both the premise and the conduct of the Boto Mo Patrol Mo campaign she manages for the network, and which is directly related, as source to water, to the “Ako ang Simula” (I am the Beginning, or It Begins with Me) music video.

It is for these reasons that I found their singing-acting participation in the video deeply upsetting.

Watching the video the first time several weeks ago, I had a vague sense of unease. I was swept away by the visual narrative, but something held me back. It took several random viewings before I could put my finger on it. Then it hit me: The video makes no distinction between the tres Marias and other news journalists, who all can be seen and heard singing, and the professional singers, like the inimitable Bayang Barrios, who punctuate the video. Perhaps that was, in fact, the point of it all. But this inclusiveness is dangerous, because it sends the message that journalism is a mere subset of entertainment.

Let me be even more specific. I realized, over time, that I was disturbed by the images of my friends and colleagues taking part in the video as singers or actors – and even more upset that their participation was entirely unnecessary. Would the music video have worked without Charie hunched on the train and humming, without Pia Hontiveros leading a chorus of other journalists, without Maria and Glenda singing and staring directly into the camera? I think so.

Obviously, the decision was made, perhaps by the director (Paolo Villaluna) or the executive producer (my colleague-in-columny Pat Evangelista), to include the journalists in the song-and-dance too. (I’m not sure if I want to know what the reasoning process was like.)

But the ABS-CBN network has already come under fire for the celebrity news shows it airs every night and on weekends. These shows deal largely in faux or manufactured news; more damaging from the point of view of an emerging democracy, they devour scarce time and resources that could have gone to feed legitimate news programs.

There’s the rub. The “Ako ang Simula” music video is a product of this same entertainment culture. It not only treats the news anchors like the mass media celebrities they are; it treats even news executives as though they were entertainers too. Indeed, and here for me lies indisputable proof, over the Christmas holidays the music video was easily mistaken for the network’s traditional celebrity-driven plug. (We can also ask ourselves, Did Ed Murrow sing for CBS?)

“Ako ang Simula,” it seems to me, is a dead end for Philippine journalism.

[hakz2007]

Most of the media personalities mga sinungaling ............. mga mukhang pera din :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno: kaya ang bagay sa kanila :bash::bash::bash::bash:

^^sakit naman niyan...

Nagpapagamit din kasi sila sa pulitiko...

[Igsuonnimo]

No housing program for media —Aquino (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100304-256581/No-housing-program-for-mediaAquino)

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100304-256581/No-housing-program-for-mediaAquino)
First Posted 10:14:00 03/04/2010


DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Philippines—Lest he be accused of electioneering, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has said no to promising a housing program for members of the media.

But if the senator wins the presidency, his colleagues assured open access to media and more protection for them.

Aquino was confronted with this issue when a local reporter asked during a press conference here Wednesday about his plans for the media should he win the presidency.

“Madalas nating marinig sa mga presidential candidates ngayon na laging nangangako ng pabahay para sa mahirap (We always hear the presidential candidates promising to provide shelter for the poor). How about the media? Hindi naman lahat ng taga-media mayaman. Wala ba kayong plano o programa para sa taga-media? (Not all media people are rich. Don’t you have plans or programs for the media?)” asked a reporter, who was applauded by his colleagues present in the room.

“Electioneering na ho siguro ang tawag dun, boto nyo ko siguraduhin kong may bahay kayo agad. Sinusuhulan ko yata kayo nun, hindi okay yun (Maybe it’s already electioneering: Vote for me and I will make that you will immediately have a house. I might already be bribing you. That’s not okay),” Aquino said.

“What we can guarantee is this: There are various agencies of government that handle socialized housing, which is the new form of low-cost housing,” he said.

Instead of responding to the reporter’s question, Aquino’s running mate, Senator Mar Roxas, promised to provide media open access should he and Aquino win in the May elections.

Roxas said the Aquino-Roxas administration will not be onion-skinned unlike this present administration.

“Unang-una, ang administrayon ni Senator Noynoy-Senator Mar ay magiging bukas sa media. Hindi tulad ngayon na halos dalawa o tatlong taon na ang nakalipas bago naharap ng media ang ating Pangulo. Parati na lang spokesman. Hindi natin malaman kung sino itong mga spokesman na nasa Malacanang (First, the Noynoy-Mar administration would be accessible to media. Unlike now when it took two or three years before the President faced the media. It’s always been the spokesman. We don’t even know who these spokesmen are),” he said in the same forum.

“So ang unang masasabi ng administrayong Noynoy at Mar ay magiging hayag kami, bukas kami sa media, may access ang media. Tulad ngayon kahit anong tanong, kahit anong issue sasagutin haharapin ni Senator Noynoy (That’s the first thing you can say about our administration, open to media. Like now, whatever question you ask, whatever issue, Senator Noynoy will confront),” he further said.

Roxas said he and Aquino would respect the independence of media and welcome any criticisms from them.

“Hindi balat sibuyas. Kinikilala namin na sa isang demokasya (Not onion-skinned. We recognize that in a democracy), I might disagree with what you say but we will defend you right to say it. Yan ang ibig sabihin ng demokrasya para sa amin (That’s what democracy means to us),” he further said.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon, a member of Aquino’s senatorial slate, said that transparency would be the “hallmark” under an Aquino-Roxas administration.

“Among the first things that we will do… is to redefine executive privilege,” he said.

Drilon said this privilege has been abused by this present administration to hide corruption in government.

This was used, he said, by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a number of times to prevent her Cabinet from attending a congressional inquiry.

“Executive privilege should only be limited to matters involving national security and foreign relations. It should never be used to cover up corruption in government,” he stressed.


* * * * * * * * * *


Media should be a tool for values formation.
Pagkatapos ng 'EDSA' karamihan sa mga media outlet ay naging parang glossy pages ng magazines.
Payo ng payo, payola naman pala ang katapat!

[hakz2007]

Ex-senator Sotto wants to amend law protecting journalists’ sources (http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=264135)

CEBU CITY, March 13 (PNA) – Former senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto lll wants to amend Republic Act (RA) 53, a law principally authored by his late grandfather-senator Vicente Yap Sotto in 1946 that protects print journalists from compelling them to reveal their news sources.

Sotto, the lone senatorial candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition for the May 2010 elections, said that if elected, he intends to expand coverage of the law, not only to the print media, but to all media practitioners.

RA 53, otherwise known as “Sotto Law,” is an act to exempt the publisher, editor or reporter of any publication from revealing the source of published news or information obtained in confidence.

”The publisher, editor or duly accredited reporter of any newspaper, magazine or periodical or general circulation cannot be compelled to reveal the source of any news-report or information appearing in said publication which was related in confidence to such publisher, editor or reporter, unless the court or a House of Committee of Congress finds that such revelation is demanded by the interest of the State,” according to Section 1.

”My grandfather authored the law to protect the print media. After more than five decades it needs to be amended to include all other forms of media used in the present time. The amendment should cover and protect all local publications and networks (print, broadcast and online) not necessarily of nationwide circulation or reach,” said Sotto

Sotto, who is number 53 among the senatorial candidates in the Commission on Elections arranged ballot list, said it will be an honor that he can amend the law authored by his grandfather.

”This is history in the making in the entire legislative records in the Philippines,” he said.

RA 53 was the first law authored by his grandfather, who was a former journalist in Cebu and who founded “Ang Suga,” the first newspaper in Cebuano. Its first issue came out on June 16, 1901. (PNA)