Manicad: Truthful, impartial journalists have nothing to fear

Former TV journalist Jiggy Manicad, how a senatorial candidate (File photo by CATHY MIRANDA / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Journalists who are impartial, apolitical, and truthful in reporting have nothing to fear, not even if they have to face 10 presidents like Rodrigo Duterte, former broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad, now a senatorial candidate, said Tuesday.

“As long as we are on the side of the truth — truth is the only thing we can bank on — as long as we are impartial, we are apolitical, we are objective, we are truthful in our reporting, even if 10 Dutertes threaten us, why should we be afraid? Why should we be afraid if we are on the side of truth?” Manicad, speaking a mix of English and Filipino, said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

“But if we have, generally speaking, skeletons in the closet, we will retreat a bit,” he added.

He pointed out that a journalist’s integrity — along with his impartiality and truthfulness — would be his shield against attacks on the media.

“That’s your weapon, that’s what you use to go against a dictator, a tyrant,” he added

Manicad recently got flak for saying in an interview that press freedom was not under attack. He also said there was a basis for investigating and filing cases against online news website Rappler.

In that previous interview, Manicad was asked if he believed press freedom was under attack under the Duterte administration.

“As long as we can say whatever we want, we can listen to we want to listen to, watch what we want to watch, and do whatever we want on social media, I think press freedom exists,” Manicad, also speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, said back then.

He explained that he had always used a “surgical” approach whenever he talked about attacks on press freedom.

He cited the case of Mindanao Gold Star Daily associate editor Cong Corrales, who was recently branded as a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).

According to him, he had known Corrales fora long time.

“For him to be accused of being a member of NPA, I think that’s not fair to him,” he said. “That is an attack. I denounced that statement, or that propaganda — regardless of whoever spread the pictures, some even include his family.”

Manicad insisted, however, that press freedom should be defended, being among the fundamental rights. /atm