DILG Spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya. (Photo from his FB account)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday slammed the college journalism organization College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) and human-rights group Karapatan for blaming the government on the cyberlibel threat against a campus journalist who publicly criticized the government’s response to COVID-19 crisis.
“This is clearly another way of misinformation to malign and blame everything on the government where we should instead be working together to fight the common enemy, the Coronavirus,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.
“Halatang-halata na nakikisawsaw lamang sila sa isyung ito as they are wont to do in order to pounce on every opportunity to discredit the government,” he added.
(It is clear that they are taking advantage of the issue as they are wont to do in order to pounce on every opportunity to discredit the government.)
To recall, Molo was summoned to a barangay hall of Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, on Sunday, April 5, where he was forced to issue a public apology after he allegedly called out his former high school teacher for downplaying his political opinion.
Molo, editor-in-chief of University of the East’s campus paper Dawn, said his teacher also accused him of cyberlibel.
Malaya also denied that the government influenced the cyberlibel threat against Molo.
“Yung high school teacher ni (Joshua) Molo ang nag-complain and the government has nothing to do with it,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.
(It was Joshua Molo’s high school teacher who complained and the government has nothing to do with it.)
Malaya also noted that the government will not file cases as it respects the rights of Molo to air his opinion against the government.
“The DILG supports the right of Filipinos to free expression, that’s a fundamental human right that is protected by the Constitution,” he said.