Baguio City—Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Thursday urged members of the media to be more circumspect of what they are going to write and publish, particularly information coming from some “quarters all out to be destructive.”
Bersamin said there was a need for the media to be more judicious, especially with the prevalence of “fake news.”
“There is relative truth and there is fake truth. I meant by that characterization to caution each of you to be discerning for only thereby may you insulate yourselves from the manipulation of quarters all out to be destructive instead of being constructive,” Bersamin said, in his speech during the Pressing Matters: A forum on Judiciary Coverage.”
According to him, members of the media and the organization they represent should remember that their obligation “is towards the people alone.”
“Being media persons, you should inform and not mislead and this, you can do only if you write or broadcast your reports accurately and responsibly,” the top magistrate stressed.
Meanwhile, Bersamin launched the High Court’s new and improved website, which includes a court locator directory for lower courts and an e-library of the tribunal’s decisions and resolutions.
The new site would be easily accessible online to the public than previous iterations of the judiciary’s official website sc.judiciary.gov.ph.
The court locator lists the contact numbers of officials in the lower courts and is eyed to assist litigants and counsels in verifying schedules.
Assistant Court Administrator and SC Spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka said the website also includes an official “roll of attorneys,” where the public may verify names of members of the bar in good standing.