“That’s not true. The government is doing this for the people. In fact, the noninterference of the government in ABS-CBN—(which) continues its media attacks against (Arroyo)—is a good sign of democracy. If she is retaliating, she could use her government to directly hit at ABS-CBN, not Meralco. But Malacañang is not doing it.”
- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s chief legal counsel Sergio Apostol, reacting to alleged government retaliation against the Lopez family. The Lopez family, which has a controlling stake on dominant energy and power distribution company Manila Electric Company (Meralco), owns major television network ABS-CBN 2, May 7
“Why has government suddenly gone after Meralco?
“The opposition is right: Because, like Ferdinand Marcos, Arroyo means to cow the Lopezes into submission, or at least tame their criticisms of government in ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. and ABS-CBN News Channel.”
- Conrado de Quiros, Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 7
“All of these lead to a shortage, which has been further exacerbated all over the world by panic situations and hysteria created by the media and political opponents in various countries.”
- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, partly blaming the media for fanning hysteria and worsening the global food shortage, Inquirer, May 9
“Observing her closely during the past seven years, I have begun to form the conclusion that President Arroyo’s style of governance is seeing her picture in media everyday.
“Publicity is the sole purpose of her being footloose. She attends and cuts ribbons of all inaugurals. It does not occur to her that a president operates behind a desk, barks orders and is hands-on on everything, particularly food production.
“The signs appeared early enough. Before she could finish the first year of her grabbed term, she allowed the hiring and employment of media persons in her government.
“A few of us succumbed to the temptation. A few continue to stand their ground believing that media and the state are classical adversaries.
“She has practically succeeded in killing the Fourth Estate. And why not? That is easier than putting the House of Representatives and earning or whatever one calls it the respect of the Supreme Court.”
- Amado Macasaet, Malaya, May 8
“Fewer journalists were murdered or attacked in the country last year, raising the Philippines’ ranking by three points on the world press freedom index. But rising to 97th place from 100th in a field of 195 countries in the index prepared by the US-based Freedom House is still nothing to crow about. The Philippine press was classified as ‘partly free’ and tied for 97th place with Bosnia.
“A similar message was sent by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which included the Philippines in a ‘shame list’ of 13 countries in 2007. The report cited the unprecedented number of libel cases filed against journalists by President Arroyo’s husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, though he withdrew all the 46 cases (sic) on World Press Freedom Day last year after surviving a heart attack.
“As World Press Freedom Day is marked today, the Philippines can boast some progress: it is no longer described as the second most dangerous country for journalists after Iraq or the most “murderous” for the working press. Since the start of the year there has been no raid by state forces on a newspaper office or libel suits filed by powerful individuals who can influence the prosecution service and judiciary.
“But most of the murders committed in the recent past remain unsolved — the reason for the country’s inclusion in the shame list of the Committee to Protect Journalists. From 1998 to 2007, 24 murders of journalists in the Philippines have not been solved, the CPJ reported as it launched a so-called Impunity Index. The failure to solve the murders has reinforced the culture of impunity that prevails in countries where press freedom faces the greatest threat.
“Those threats can take more subtle forms. A recent study undertaken by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) showed that it has become increasingly harder for mass media to obtain information about government projects. The PCIJ reported that the curbs on access to documents that are supposed to be of public record started shortly after the ZTE corruption scandal erupted. As the nation marks World Press Freedom Day, the Philippine press must confront these new challenges.”
- The Philippine Star editorial on World Press Freedom Day, May 3
“It is our humble view that the right of reply is not an infringement at all on the freedom of the press. On the contrary, it is an expression of that right so that the people in general will enjoy the right of free speech which should be respected by the media.”
- Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., explaining his bill on the right of reply, Manila Bulletin, May 8 |
