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Letters

WE would like to ask for help regarding the mega dike which until now, six years after Sendong happened, is not yet finished. Typhoon Vinta came and brought havoc again because of the unfinished dike. Fortunately, typhoon Agaton spared CDO from another devastation.

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We hope you can help our initiative to have a movement and for a signature campaign to call the attention of our local and national governments to finish the construction of the mega dike.

We hope you can be a part of this movement which can help the lives of the affected residents and even spare lives in the future. –Jose Mari Tamayo, Barangay Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro

 

Abomination

THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines firmly opposes the proposal of the House Sub-Committee on Constitutional Amendments to change Article III, Sec 4 of the 1987 Constitution to read:

“No law shall be passed abridging the ‘responsible exercise’ of freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

This proposal is as dangerous as it is, to put it as plainly as possible, stupid.

It would, in effect, enshrine prior restraint as part of the basic law of the land and spell the end of the inalienable rights and freedoms this particular provision seeks to protect.

Shame on Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro for defending this abomination by claiming that “this time, if you go around, there is so much abuse of this freedom, they think it is unrestrained.”

If those supposed to protect and promote our most basic liberties can deign to snatch these away through such devious means, it is not farfetched to suspect that they intend to turn the Constitution into an abomination to enslave, not free, much less protect us.

We call on all independent Filipino journalists and media groups, and on all our fellow citizens who cherish freedom to come together and discuss how we can prevent this brazen attempt to hijack democracy.

Let us resolve to take common action lest we again lose everything.

***

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines is outraged at the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) revocation of the registration of news outfit Rappler and Rappler Holdings Corp. for supposedly violating the Constitutional prohibition against foreign ownership of media.

The SEC has apparently decided to reject Rappler’s contention that its foreign investors merely placed money in the outfit but do not own it, which it issued after President Rodrigo Duerte, in his state of the nation address last year, threatened to have its ownership investigated.

It was but one of many threats Duterte has made against media critical of him and his governance, such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer and broadcast network ABS-CBN, whose franchise renewal he threatened to block.

We are sure Rappler, as it has said, is capable of mounting a legal defense against what amounts to their closure.

As it does so, the NUJP declares it full support to Rappler and all other independent media outfits that the state has threatened and may threaten to shut down.

We call on all Filipino journalists to unite and resist every and all attempts to silence us. –The NUJP National Directorate; Atty. Jocelyn Clemente, acting chair; Dabet Panelo, secretary general, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines

 

Constricting Press Freedom

THE Duterte regime’s revocation of Rappler’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registration, after months of articles about the Duterte regime’s anti-people drug war campaign, is clearly a move to constrict press freedom, targetting media platforms exposing the brutality and inhumanity of the government program. This also attests to the reality that this regime is gradually moving towards a dictatorship.

The SEC revocation of Rappler’s registration was ordered by no less than the Office of the Solicitor General on Dec. 14, 2016, tasking the commission to investigate the media organization for allegedly violating the Constitution, which prohibits foreign ownership and control of mass media platforms. Rappler has since responded, belying the claims hurled at them and stating that their financial statements are accessible for comparison and scrutiny.

With the revamping of efforts to change the constitution to allow full foreign ownership of Philippine lands, resources, and utilities, the basis put forward by the Duterte regime in revoking Rappler’s registration, stating that the media outfit has violated the constitution’s provision disallowing foreign ownership of mass media, comes off as selective and ironic. The Duterte regime is targeting Rappler for allegedly being owned by foreigners when it is clamoring to do exactly the same with our land and resources by ridding provisions in our constitution that limit foreign ownership.

We cite the July 2017 acquisition of the The Philippine Daily Inquirer by Ramon Ang, a businessman with a cozy connection to the President. Like Rappler, this came after months of the publication releasing commentaries and stories that criticized many government policies, including Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel.

While negotiation was present in the PDI acquisition, unlike the Manila Times 1999 incident where the latter was forced to sell, this nonetheless demonstrates an insidious effort to control mass media and restrict content that questions the government. When the Duterte regime and its mouthpieces in social media cry foul of “biased” reporting, it has become crystal clear that any criticism – regardless of how legitimate the grievance – is considered “biased”.

We also raise the issue of political persecution and targeting of alternative media practitioners, citing the cases of Sherwin de Vera and Kathyrine Cortez.

On Dec. 13, 2017, de Vera was illegally arrested while on his way home. De Vera, also an environmental activist, writes an opinion column for the Northern Dispatch Weekly. His writings aimed to present the point of view of the Cordillera people. De Vera is currently detained in Abra Provincial Jail for trumped-up charges of rebellion. On Dec. 18, 2017, Kathyrine Cortez of media outfit Radyo ni Juan received death threats via text messages. She was tagged as a communist supporter, along with the message: “A bullet for you! Merry Christmas!” Cortez has been reporting on rights violations on Lumad communities in Mindanao.

Political persecution is a brand proudly worn by this fascist regime. Minions in Congress have shamelessly targeted congressmen that have expressed their opposition to bills and motions put forward by the Duterte government, openly threatening them with budget reductions and other threats. The removal of Rappler’s registration sends out a chilling message – diverse and often contradictory views will not be tolerated by the Duterte regime. History then teaches us that now is the most urgent time to speak up and to resist, lest this government thinks it can get away with underhanded manuevers. –Cristina Palabay, secretary general, Karapatan

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