KBP to go to Supreme Court if right of reply bills pass

CEBU, Philippines - Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas national president Herman Basbano yesterday said the largest organization of broadcast operators and stations in the country will go to the Supreme Court if Congress passes the right of reply bills now pending there.

Basbano is in Cebu as guest speaker at yesterday’s opening of the First Broadcasters Congress organized by the KBP Cebu Chapter.

Basbano said the right of reply bills are not only unnecessary, as journalists are already subject to journalists’ code of ethics, but also because they are unconstitutional and violate the prohibition against the enactment of laws abridging the freedom of expression, speech and of the press.

Basbao said that if the bills are enacted into law, they will hang like the sword of Damocles over freedom of expression, threatening to curtail the airing through the media of dissenting views, which are the cornerstone of a free and democratic society.

He said that if the present bills pass, journalists will no longer be able to freely report on matters of importance to the public since this function will now be taken over by those who want to unduly shape public opinion to advance their own interests.

He said the KBP has always insisted that in a democracy shortcomings by the media should be corrected or sanctioned by self-regulatory bodies. He said that the KBP has an internal ombudsman, the KBP Standards Authority which hears complaints against broadcasters violating its code of ethics and the print media have their own counterparts.

He said that instead of opening the floodgates for unscrupulous individuals to control what is being reported in the media, the law should strengthen these self-regulatory bodies so that they can perform their functions more effectively.

Basbano also discussed the Sotto law wherein journalists are not compelled to reveal their sources of information. 

Lawyer Ruphil Bañoc, station manager of DYHP, said the “Sotto law” (Republic Act No. 53 (as amended)) protects journalists from being compelled to name their news sources. It was named after Cebuano journalist and legislator Vicente Sotto, who was jailed for months over an article he printed in his newspaper.

The law protects “the publisher, editor, columnist or duly accredited reporter of any newspaper, magazine or periodical of general circulation.”

The amendment will give them the same protection: “The journalist cannot be compelled to reveal the source of any news item, news report or information reported or disseminated in the media which was related in confidence to the journalist.”

Basbano lauded the KBP Cebu for being the most active among KBP chapters nationwide.

“I give credit to the officers of KBP Cebu chapter and members here, for doing their job,” he said. — Johanna Natavio/JST (THE FREEMAN)