Journalists hold picket outside Congress vs Reply Bill
April 23, 2009
The National Union of Journalist of the Philippines (NUJP) together with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) held a picket outside the main gates of the House of Representatives last March 21 to protest the Right to Reply Bill.
The Right of Reply Bill (Senate Bill 2150) authored by Sen. Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. was passed by the Senate in July 2008. A counterpart bill (HB 3306) in the Lower House of Congress is now pending for deliberation.
The NUJP and the CEGP criticize RORB for it will allegedly violate the freedom of the press by imposing prior restraint on media. If ever passed, the RORB will mandate the media to publish or air the replies of any person subject to criticisms or accused of any crime or offense in the same space of the publications or in the same program on radio, television, website or through any electronic device where the issue first came out.
The NUJP has released a petition in February calling for the withdrawal of the bills in both Houses and for the media and public to oppose its passage. Over 700 journalists hav signed the petition as of date.
According to the NUJP petition the RORB would legislate what the media ought to publish or air, while casting a chilling effect that could dissuade the more timorous from publishing or airing what they should.
NUJP alongwith the CEGP held a dialogue with House Speaker Prospero Nograles by 12 noon. However, it appears that the House of Represetatives is not likely inclined to withdraw the said bill.
“Campus journalists have as much reason as our colleagues in the mainstream press to reject the Right of Reply bill. Its provisions would violate campus press freedom, more so because campus publications are already generally repressed under normal circumstances”, Vijae Alquisola, National President of CEGP said.
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