Marcos gov’t ‘respects press freedom’, says Angeles

by Betheena Unite, Manila Bulletin

Malacañang has assured Philippine media that press freedom is guaranteed and they “won’t change anything” under the Marcos administration.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles (Photo courtesy of the Office of Press Secretary)

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles stated on Friday, Aug. 26, that the government, under the leadership of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., will uphold the rights of journalists in the country. "

Sa isang panayam ng ating state media kahapon, binanggit natin na kinikilala at nirerespeto ng ating pamahalaan sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Pangulong Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. ang press freedom o ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag ng ating mga kasama sa media (In an interview with our state media yesterday, I mentioned that the government, under the leadership of President Marcos, recognizes and respects press freedom),” Angeles said in a Facebook post. You’re free to talk. We’re not changing anything. Whatever freedom we have now will always be our freedom. Our Constitution guarantees that,” Angeles said. 

Upon assuming the presidency, Marcos committed to personally face the media when it comes to pressing issues, thus he did not designate his own spokesperson.

Turkey – the end of press freedom

TUE, MAY 2, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

 IN MY OPINION

Turkey’s telecommunications authority has said that access to Wikipedia is being barred due to entries alleging the country supports terrorism. It was not clear which specific posts had run afoul of Turkish rules.

Authorities in Turkey offered up an explanation on Sunday (April 30) for suddenly barring access to the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia, saying it was over certain entries that hadn’t been removed from the site. “Despite all the efforts, the content that falsely claims Turkey’s support for terrorist organizations was not removed from Wikipedia,” Turkey’s telecommunications authority stated in a tweet.

The authority said the content was “not allowed to be edited with accurate information” and that it is not possible to selectively block content on Wikipedia. The entire platform was therefore blocked in Turkey.

The statement added that “Wikipedia editors must do what is necessary” regarding the content.

On Saturday, Turkey’s private NTV television network, which has been criticized for censoring anti-government content, said the block was put in place over entries “placing Turkey on the same level as the ‘Islamic State'” despite requests to remove the content.

Not only this. Turkey also issued a decree on Saturday imposing a ban on popular dating programs on Turkish television channels. The Turkish government has blocked thousands of websites and has placed restrictions on social media platforms, including YouTube and Twitter. Authorities in Turkey are also able to block specific Twitter accounts.

More sackings across the country were shocked on Saturday when they could no longer access the website from within Turkey without using a virtual private network. The site contains encyclopedia-like entries on a broad spectrum of topics written in several languages. Anyone can register and propose changes, but the changes can be undone by others.

Turkey issued a set of decrees Saturday, one announced the firing of 3,974 officials while the second imposed a ban on popular dating programs on Turkish television channels. Another decree gazetted also reinstated 236 people to their jobs, according to the Associated Press.

The online encyclopedia’s founder Jimmy Wales tweeted that he would stand by Turks over their “fundamental” right to access.

Saturday’s public service expulsions included 1,127 justice ministry employees, including wardens, some 1,000 army personnel and 500 academics. That lifts to 100,000 the number of people purged in the nine months since last year’s coup attempt. Some 47,000 people have been arrested.

Freedom House, the independent rights watchdog, says over 111,000 websites were blocked already as of May last year, shortly after the coup attempt. Turkey is listed as “not free” on the organization’s Freedom on the Net index.

A democracy named – Turkey. Turkey – the end of press freedom for sure!

Protect The Media

Re-published Editorial from Mindanao Daily Mirror, September 6, 2013, with friendly permission of my publisher and editor-in-chief Marietta Songco.

"The attacks on the media in the Philippines continue unabated, with a radio broadcaster getting shot dead in Iligan City last week and two Davao City media executives getting convicted of libel also last week. These two may seem to be very different cases, and in many ways they are: one was a violent crime, while the other was a long drawn-out case. But the net effect is the same: media practitioners know they live under a sword that could fall on their heads any time, in one way or another.

What confounds the media community is how indifferent government has been  to its plights. Almost three decades have passed since the 1986 People Power revolution that supposedly brought democracy back to the country, and yet here we are, a media industry constantly under threat of being killed, arrested, jailed, imprisoned. 

Of the roughly 200 journalists killed since 1986, more than 130 were murdered in the time of their duty. Most of the killers have gone scot-free, and practically all masterminds have never been arrested. Five presidents have taken residence in Malacanang, but none of them have taken concrete steps to protect the media.

As for libel, government has shown no inclination to decriminalize it, making the Philippines one of a very countries where one can go to prison for expressing oneself. Freedom of expression is enshrined in our Constitution, but as long as libel is a criminal offense, we will be merely paying lip services to it. Every single journalist lives with the thought that he or she could go to prison  for something he or she wrote or said on air, and that can have profound effects on how the truth is reported. Under threat of libel, explosive stories can have a way of disappearing from view, neer to be seen to the public.

The Aquino adminstration styles itself as the one that is walking the straight and narrow path, but it has a ling way to go to prove its commitment by way of protecting the media. Without free media, good government is nothing but fiction."