Arroyo warns vs ‘irresponsible’ exercise of press freedom
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 19:24:00 08/28/2008
Filed Under: Media, Human Rights
MANILA, Philippines -- While acknowledging journalists as "critical to maintaining our strong democracy," President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo warned against those who exercise press freedom without responsibility.
"Freedom in the hands of such as these, 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," she said in a speech at the centennial of the Philippines Free Press in Makati City late Wednesday.
"Journalists are critical to maintaining our strong democracy. We need not overstress that," she added and then quoted the cautionary words of American journalist Joseph Pulitzer, that "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 such as Pulitzer and [Free Press founder Teodoro] Locsin [Sr.], but disdain the concurrent responsibilities on their part to be disinterested and public-spirited," she said.
Arroyo also deplored the continued murder of journalists and said her administration is working "to break this historical cycle."
She said Task Force 211, which she formed to address crimes against journalists, has been making headway in solving cases of media killings, citing the murders of broadcasters Dennis Cuesta, Martin Roxas and Bert Sison.
"The cases were solved in an average of nine working days after the perpetration. And in the case of the killing of Roxas, the suspected killers have already been arrested," Arroyo said.
Arroyo called on the cooperation of the victims’ families and various groups to solve media killings as she vowed that the government "will not stop at nothing to protect the lives of our nation's media men and women."
The media’s relationship with Arroyo has often been stormy and media groups have accused the administration of attempts to clamp down on press freedom.
Among the more notable instances were the raid on a newspaper and threats by government to take over media outfits during a state of emergency Arroyo declared in February 2006, the arrest of as many as 50 journalists covering a failed military uprising at the Manila Peninsula Hotel last November, and the multiple libel cases, since withdrawn, by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
For a few years, the Philippines had been tagged the “most murderous” country for journalists and international press freedom organizations still consider it the second most dangerous country next to war-torn Iraq.
Since 2001, when Arroyo came to power, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has counted 90 media killings, the last two being Cuesta and Roxas, the highest death toll of any sitting president, including the late Ferdinand Marcos who ruled as a dictator for 14 years.
|
