House passes bill declaring Press Freedom Day
Maguindanao massacre carnage site in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved a bill declaring November 23 as Philippine Press Freedom Day.
November 23 marks the commemoration of the grisly massacre in Maguindanao four years ago that killed 58 people, 32 of which were media workers, allegedly at the hands of the Ampatuan clan which wielded a powerful private army in the region.
House Bill 4128 was recommended for approval by the House public information committee, which has yet to consolidate the different versions of the freedom of information bill.
“The measure… shall promote and uphold freedom and heighten awareness on press freedom so that journalists may freely and securely report the truth no matter who gets hurt by it,” said Misamis Occidental Representative Jorge Almonte, who chairs the public information committee.
One of the bill’s authors, Ako Bicol Rep. Christopher Co, said the country remains to be a dangerous place for journalists even as it has the freest press in Asia.
“Remembered as the single deadliest event for journalists in recent history… the Maguindanao massacre is and continues to be a symbol of a fight for press freedom and their rights in the practice of their profession,” Co said.
“The commemoration of Philippine Press Freedom Day shall serve as a fitting reminder that we will never forget the sacrifices of these journalists who gave up their lives in the practice of their profession,” he added.
According to the bill, the private sector, government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units, should encourage and allow their employees to participate in the commemoration of Press Freedom Day within the premises of their respective offices.
The bill also requires the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to lead public and private schools in organizing activities to celebrate the importance of the press, and to call for an end to violence against the media.
They will be in coordination with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), state media organizations and private media groups.
The Philippines remains to be among the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. According to the 2013 Global Impunity Index of the Committee to Protect Journalists, the country ranked third after Iraq and Somalia among those where journalists’ murders are likely to remain unpunished.
The Philippines has been at third slot since 2010.
The latest journalist killed is Digos broadcaster Samuel Oliverio, the 164th journalist slain since 1986 and the 28th murdered under the Aquino administration, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.
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