The Duterte administration will continue to put press freedom in high regard amid the allegations the government restrains dissent from journalists, an official said Friday.
As journalists around the globe celebrate World Press Freedom Day, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said the government respects freedom of the press.
“The public can expect that the Duterte administration will continue to respect press freedom in the country contrary to the allegations of some,” Andanar said in a statement.
In other developments:
• On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the National Press Club of the Philippines criticized media outfits and organizations for allegedly receiving foreign funding.
“We are referring to the fact that for many years now, other media organizations are directly receiving from foreign sources to fund their activities, particularly from front organizations identified with the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency and from non-government organizations based in Europe,” the NPC said in a statement on Thursday.
• On World Press Freedom Day, veteran journalists slammed the Duterte administration for allegedly applying double standards on the issue of foreign funding”•hitting media organizations for receiving foreign funds without acknowledging that it does the same.
The government has been using grants from other nations and institutions, most recently those from China, the journalists said.
“They are demonizing foreign funding. They should study what foreign funding is, because there’s nothing wrong [with] accepting assistance from foreign organizations,” Vera Files president Ellen Tordesillas said in a mix of English and Filipino during the panel discussion on the media freedom forum organized by the Freedom for Media, Freedom for All network on Friday.
“The government itself [accepts foreign aid]. Look at the press release of Malacañang last week. The President came from China bringing in billions worth of grants and loans,” Tordesillas said.
• Twelve killings are among the 128 cases of attacks against members of the media that the Freedom for Media, Freedom for All Network recorded since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power in 2016.
At a forum held on World Press Freedom Day, Freedom for Media, Freedom for All Network said almost half of the attacks and threats were allegedly perpetrated by state agents.
Most of the harassment cases took place in Metro Manila, which had 63 reported.
The data was collated from June 30, 2016 to April 30.
The group said 89 cases of threats were recorded in Luzon, 13 in the Visayas and 26 in Mindanao.
Andanar said the creation of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, which was ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte in October 2016, was proof that the administration was respecting and protecting the journalists in the country.
“We in the PCOO also continue the fight against disinformation and the proliferation of fake news because these things ruin free speech,” Andanar said.
“We are one with the mediamen of the country and the world in upholding and preserving the right to press freedom.”
The World Press Freedom Day celebration came on the heels of the alleged ouster plot matrix, supposedly led by journalists and pro-bono lawyers alike, to dethrone the President.
Duterte has openly criticized local media organizations for their reportage, even threatening to stop the renewal of ABS-CBN’s license, which will expire on March 30 next year.
Duterte also hurled a lot of criticism at journalists this year, urging the public not to believe that media organizations are clean.
According to him, journalists receive payoffs just to pursue fake news stories.
In a speech on April 17, the President even ridiculed writers for not having the capability to buy things for their own hygiene.
“That Rappler, it’s funded. These m***** f******, if your source of income is only through writing, you will all be beggars, to be honest. You can’t even buy cars. You’ll even go to Belo to look pretty. Where will you get the money? Are you millionaires?” Duterte said.
“Before, you can’t even buy deodorant. Yes, I can smell you before… I’d be something like 40 years in politics. We were talking, you interview me, your mouth really smells, even your armpits, what more the…,” he added.