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The UP College of Mass Communication, The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, and the Union of Journalists of the Philippines shared their sentimnents over GMA's 1017. This statement was signed by 124 students, faculty members and administrative staff of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) at its emergency assembly last February 27, 2006. Proclamation No. 1017 and General Order No. 5, both signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last February 24, have been used by the government to quell legitimate dissent as manifested by the arrests of demonstrators and so-called conspirators to bring down the President. We can conclude from the raid on the broadsheet The Daily Tribune and the tight watch by the military on other media agencies that the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is savaging press freedom. The suppression of mass media agencies and other organizations will continue unless we unite to fight for our rights and to oppose all measures aimed at curtailing our freedoms. As an academic institution, the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) is committed to the defense of free _expression and press freedom. We believe that press freedom is the cornerstone of a democratic society. It is crucial in providing the people the information they need to form enlightened opinion on matters of public interest especially in times of crisis. And yet, Proclamation No. 1017 condemns the media for recklessly magnify(ing) the claims of the political opposition. The UP CMC is committed to oppose measures like Proclamation No. 1017 which clearly undermine the role of the free press in the country. We demand that the President end the assault on press freedom and the media and immediately
rescind Proclamation No. 1017.
Statement of the Union of Journalists of the Philippines – University of the Philippines Diliman concerning the state of national emergency. Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo has continuously wrestled to gain power and the declaration of a state of national emergency is just another of her government’s tactics for her to stay in the presidential seat she questionably won. With only the perceived threat on her government, Arroyo declared Proclamation No. 1017 on a day when freedom and the fight for it should have been celebrated. This is a move only a paranoid government desperate to remain in power would take. Proclamation No. 1017 and General Order No. 5 have been brazenly used to curtail basic civil liberties and caused the warrantless arrests of deemed conspirators. Saying that “the claims of… elements (political opposition) have been recklessly magnified by certain segments of the national media,” the Macapagal- Arroyo administration blatantly tried to suppress press freedom and to meddle on the workings of the media. It clearly violates Section 4 of Article III of the Constitution: “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of _expression, or of the press.” The February 25 raid of the broadsheet The Daily Tribune and the surveillance on media institutions are proofs of this heedless way to make sure that the Arroyo government is provided with the kind of media coverage it wants regardless of basic journalistic values like objectivity and fairness. As media students, we are enraged with the reckless disregard and flagrant attack on press freedom and freedom on speech. These are the highest tenets of the media industry and as future media practitioners, we deeply uphold these rights. The threat of takeover on media has a chilling effect that it compels the media to engage in a kind of self-censorship that only Ms. Arroyo would benefit. We, the members of the Union of Journalists of the Philippines – UP Diliman strongly condemn Proclamation No. 1017 and General Order No. 5 - a fatal blow to press freedom.
Union of Journalists of the Philippines
NUJP Position on Proclamation 1017 and Raid onTribune office We condemn in strongest words possible the Friday night raid by government troops of the office of the Daily Tribune newspaper, and the sending of troops to "watch" over broadcast stations, ABS-CBN and GMA7. We reject the Arroyo government's attempts to assign blame on media for its current crisis and urge our media colleagues across the country not to be cowed by threats, open or veiled, seeking to scare us from boldly performing our jobs as we must. We demand that the Arroyo government allow journalists and media organizations the fullest freedom to air and print news and information about the current political crisis, and that it desist from undertaking repressive action against journalists and media organizations covering the crisis. When unrest and confusion reigns, as is happening at the moment, it becomes ever more vital for the people and members of the media to jealously protect the freedom of the press and expression. Such is a lesson learned bitterly under the past brutal dictatorship, whose downfall, ironically, Filipinos commemorated yesterday. Reference: Jose Torres, Jr. Rowena Carranza-Paraan Back to Home |