Legitimate media practitioners in the Philippines are facing yet another challenge in the practice of their profession after the justice department had issued an advisory last January 11, 2008 that warned personnel of news organizations for possible criminal liabilities, especially if they disobey orders from authorities during emergencies.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales advisory came out in the wake of the failed Manila Peninsula standoff on November 29, 2007, wherein a couple of journalists from various media organizations covering the event were hauled off to a waiting police shuttle, after they were caught inside the hotel along with the rebel soldiers at the height of the crisis.
But most media practitioners took the advisory in a negative light, saying this violates their constitutional rights to cover unfolding events of news value as part of the public’s right to information and freedom of free expression in the country. And to ventilate their grievances against the authorities who arrested them duirng the hotel standoff, some eleven staffers of the ABS-CBN news channel had filed a petition for writ of amparo with the Supreme Court, seeking their arrest at the Manila Peninsula hotel illegal. The group also asked the highest court to issue a protective order that will prevent authorities in the future from charging and prosecuting them in connection with the hotel standoff.
The petitioners, led by veteral broadcast journalist Ces Orena-Drilon and with ten others, said that their arrest inside the hotel lobby violated their constitutional rights to liberty and security.
Named respondents in the petition before the SC were Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon, PNP National Capital chief Geary Barias and P/Chief Supt. Asher Dolina and several John Does.
According to the petitioners, they had filed the writ of amparo so as to stop the police and other authorities from harassing them while in the performance of their duties as journalists.
Earlier, Razon said that the police will file counter charges against journalists who file criminal charges against the arresting officers. Likewise, DILG Secretary Puno added that journalists be handcuffed once they don’t heed the call of authorities for them to stay away from similar situations in the future.
Similarly, Justice Secretary Raul Gozales has argued that granting the petition of the concerned journalists by the Supreme Court would make them a special group of people under the Constitution.
Leave Your Comments