The country’s major news media organizations and news practitioners are loudly denouncing the impending passage of the Right Of Reply Bill principally authored by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, and for good reason.
http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2009/0224_pimentel1.asp
http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/54734852!.pdf
Pimentel, it appears, wants to turn back the clock.
While the clamor is for libel to be decriminalized, Pimentel is seen by critics as seeking to handcuff the Fourth Estate.
Filipino journalists are licentious, even irresponsible and display, at times, wanton disregard for privacy.
But what about government?
It freely dispenses untruths that will shame even Joseph Goebbels.
With technology making spy cameras ubiquitous, George Orwell’s Big Brother is now a reality.
While you’re at it, Sen. Pimental, why not file a bill to create the Thought Police of the Philippines?
Sure the working press must be expected to exercise utmost responsibility with the premium on fairness and adherence to the truth.
But that’s for all citizens to live by.
Popularity: 1% [?]
I oppose the “Right” To Reply Bill because it is too weak.
There ought to be a law that makes it the DUTY of government officials to reply immediately and in public whenever they are criticized in the Mass Media or Blogosphere.
Manong,
An element tangent exactly to your point is how govcernment can, at any time hide behind the skirt of executive privelege exactly by lying about the nature of a questioned deal with the SC-upheld presidential gag prerogative all encompassing. While E.O. 464 was struck down , people like Romulo Neri has even been promoted with his stocky hand in the SSS till.
Ooops there IS such a law, over which Atty. Alan Paguia was suspended for pestering SCORP with written questions a few years ago.
It is called the Code of Ethical Conduct of Public Officials (RA 6713)