Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye welcomed yesterday the decision of media groups to petition the Court of Appeals to stop alleged government censorship of media.

"We welcome the move of media groups to bring this issue to the courts so that it can be engaged in an atmosphere of reason and sobriety," Bunye said in a press statement from Malacañang.

He pointed out that the fact that representatives of different media organizations can lodge a complaint with the courts only shows that democracy reigns in this country.

Broadcast and print media representatives petitioned the Court of Appeals Wednesday to stop the government from allegedly censoring the media. They also demand the scrapping of the guidelines of the National Telecommunications Commission on media coverage of events.

Bunye said the government has not done anything dictatorial or contrary to law, adding that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's only objective in declaring a state of national emergency under Proclamation 1017 was to protect the public interest.

He also dismissed the petitioners' claim that despite the lifting of Proclamation 1017, the government continues to threaten media by announcing that they are being monitored.*

back to top