Communications Sec. Martin Andanar. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines — Freedom of the press should not be abused, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said during the Press Freedom Caravan in Tokyo.
“Freedom and responsibility are the words in my equation, precisely because we are Asian. Although we may have inherited the concept of freedom of the press from the West, it is imperative that our culture should restrain us from the abuse of this freedom,” Andanar said Saturday.
Citing the ancient Japanese Bushido Code, Andanar said the media should function around these eight values — justice, courage, benevolence, politeness, sincerity, honor, loyalty, and self-control.
Andanar added that “freedom of the press is defined by the responsibility to the truth,” adding that the media act as “safeguards” against fabricated news.
“There can only be one threshold of the truth on which press freedom is exercised. This is the personal honor that every journalist must follow from the heart. We make the world a better place to live in, because of the quality of our reports and the mastery of contents. We have the freedom to resist what is wrong and what is evil, and we prevail in this battle because we are right. We render to everyone what is just and what is morally due,” Andanar said.
“We must not fear the battlefield of media. Freedom of the press is defined by the responsibility to the truth,” he added.
The caravan sought to discuss the state of press freedom in the Philippines. It was attended by around 30 Filipino and Japanese journalists.
The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) was set to hold a Press Freedom Caravan for the overseas Filipino workers on June 2, alongside the Office of the Global Media Affairs. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)