Poe: Right of reply curtails press freedom

Sen. Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Friday urged public pressure against any bid to pass a “right of reply” law in the House of Representatives amid the pork barrel scandal allegedly involving some of its members.

“It is a cause for worry so we have to be vigilant and relentless in keeping public pressure up in pushing for its passage in Congress,” Poe, head of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, said in a text message to reporters.

“We should sustain public pressure. It is key to preventing the passage of such a measure. No one thought just months ago that public pressure would be able to bring down the entrenched PDAF system,” she said.

PDAF is Priority Development Assistance Fund also known as pork barrel of lawmakers, which is perceived as one of the sources of corruption in government.

Some congressmen have revived calls for the passage of a “right of reply” as they protested the alleged failure of some media outfits to publish the sides of those implicated in the “pork” scam.

Under the proposed right of reply bill, media outfits would be required to print or air the rebuttal of parties who feel maligned with the same space and airtime.

Poe said her committee has not received yet a similar proposal but said: “It is a real threat nonetheless.”

“I’ve always asserted that the right of reply is a form of intrusion in our right to Press Freedom. Although many times we question the motives of media and fair journalism is sometimes under threat, a real democracy should encourage self-regulation,” she said.

“Ultimately, it is the people that will determine the credibility and fairness of lawmakers and the media alike,” Poe added.

RELATED STORIES

Legislators to revisit ‘right of reply’ bill

After printing of pork scam lists, lawmaker Aggabao sees need for right of reply