Military labels certain media groups enemies of state — Poe

Sen. Grace Poe wants the military to explain why it continues to brand certain media groups as “enemies of the State” amid concerns about the safety of media workers in the country.

Poe expressed concern about this as she led a hearing on the cases of media killings and the welfare of journalists on Wednesday, where she also sought a greater role for media practitioners in a task force created by Malacañang to address their concerns.

“It goes against the principles of democracy if, first of all, you target media practitioners and you label them as enemies of the State,” Poe told reporters.

At the hearing, Raymund Villanueva, director of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), urged the Senate to conduct an inquiry into why the Armed Forces of the Philippines had been harassing journalists and branded media organizations such as the NUJP as enemies of the State.

The AFP has refused to withdraw these “unjust accusations,” Villanueva said. —Leila B. Salaverria