Media groups in Negros Occidental and participants of the Visayas-Wide Media Summit over the weekend denounced the Arroyo administration's move to curtail press freedom and called on colleagues and all those who cherish freedom and democracy to oppose such moves.

The Philippine National Police early Saturday morning raided the office of the Daily Tribune and government officials have warned of a clamp down on print and broadcast media who do not adhere to government standards.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said the state of national emergency declared by the President should not affect the Bill of Rights that safeguards freedom of the press.

"No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievance," Sec. 4, Art. III of the Philippine Constitution's Bill of Rights says.

"The president should never have infringed on press freedom because it is a pillar of our democracy," Primo Esleyer, Negros Press Club president, said yesterday.

"If the killing of about 100 media practitioners in the last 20 years did not strike fear in media, no amount of threats or even arrests will cow them from doing their work now. The president should keep that in mind," he said.

"What standard is PNP Director General Arturo Lomibao talking about when he says a government team will examine the editorial contents of newspapers and the news or views aired by broadcast stations to see if they conform to government standards?" Esleyer asked.

"The media has its own standards and that is what we will follow. We will not allow the PNP to dictate to us. We will continue to operate according to our standards and we dare them to arrest us," he said.

OTHER NEGROS GROUPS

Edgar Cadagat, president of the National Union of Journalist-Negros chapter, said the NUJP will stage protests against the crackdown on media.

Correspondents , Broadcasters and Reporters Association-Active News Service chairman Jaime Espina and Congress of Active Media Practitioners president Eli de los Santos Saturday condemned the raid on the Tribune and the Arroyo administration's threat of a media crackdown.

"We call on our colleagues in print, broadcast and digital journalism worldwide to support Philippine media in this dark hour. Please add your voice to our protest," a NUJP statement released yesterday said.

"Let us collectively condemn the crackdown on Philippine media and remind Mrs. Arroyo that no country can be free to prosper if its media is silenced and cowed," the group added.

VISAYAS MEDIA

Sixteen participants of the First Visayas-Wide Media Summit in Iloilo City Saturday also issued a statement strongly denouncing the police raid on the Daily Tribune early Saturday morning.

"We demand that the Arroyo government end all other acts and threats to curtail the exercise of press freedom and the people's right to know," they said.

Ironically, it happened on the daybreak marking the very historic event - EDSA 1 - when we have toppled a dictator and ended his long years of repressive rule, they said.

"Nobody, not even President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has the right to stifle the basic rights to freedom of expression and access to information, especially not in these trying times," the statement added.

The statement reminded the president of the provisions of the Philippine Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that categorically guarantee the freedom of speech, of expression and of the press.

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers," Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says.

The summit participants called on colleagues and all who cherish freedom and democracy to oppose all moves by this administration and any other government agencies to "curtail the rights and liberties we have struggled so hard for."

Some participants at the summit, especially those working for government run media outlets, did not sign the resolution.

Bacolod police director, Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, said he had not received an order to monitor the local media. Perhaps only the Manila media is being closely monitored, he said.

Felipe Levy Gelle, Bayan Negros secretary general, said they support the media who have banded together to resist Arroyo's repression of the media.*CPG

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