Presidential aspirants scored for withdrawing support for ROR bill

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Joker Arroyo slammed his three colleagues yesterday for withdrawing their support to the Right of Reply Bill (RORB), apparently as an effort to increase their popularity among the various media organizations in preparation for the elections next year.

Arroyo said Senators Manuel Roxas II, Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda are trying to drum up support from media organizations against the passage of the RORB.

Arroyo said the country does not need “apprehensive presidential bets” in 2010.

He said even President Arroyo was reportedly against the passage of the bill.

“Why was the President first to declare that she would veto the RORB? I don’t think that she is right. She only wants to get good points with the media who’d then take turns in criticizing her the next day,” said Sen. Arroyo, who is not related to the President.

Arroyo described the President’s move as “unpresidentiable.”

Arroyo also pointed out Escudero headed the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, secondary to the committee on mass media of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla.

He said Escudero sponsored the RORB proposal, which was then Senate Bill 2150, along with Revilla and principal author Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

“Why is Chiz (Escudero) withdrawing support? So as other presidentiables?” he asked. “Why is it that if you are the President and if you want to be President, at first drop of the rain, you take cover,” Arroyo said in an interview over dzBB. “In other words, those who are contrary to this bill are those who want to be president. Why does it seem that you want to please the media and do what they want?”

Escudero chided Arroyo for his remarks and defended his withdrawal of support from the RORB.

“Unlike my colleagues, I have not declared any political plans. My reasons for withdrawing are simple, I just listen and learn from the elders,” he said.

Escudero conceded the Senate voted unanimously in favor of the RORB and the reservations of the media came only months after it was approved on third reading on July 29 last year, as also pointed out by Arroyo.

Legarda, for her part, said the RORB is a violation of the freedom of the press and expression under the Constitution.

In a subsequent interview, Arroyo told The STAR that the RORB was pushed by the Senate due to the demand of media to decriminalize libel and in response to the many killings of journalists in the provinces.

“If there is no Right of Reply, then the aggrieved party have no recourse that’s why provincial journalists (are getting) killed,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo also raised a question why the media have been complaining only now when they chose to be quiet during deliberations over the RORB last year.

He also cited that the same right of reply has been incorporated in the franchises granted to television and radio stations where there is a standard provision that it is an obligation of a franchise holder to give equal time to parties offended by its broadcast.

Arroyo pointed out however that the right can only be invoked by government or by the State and it does not cover private offended parties. “This is not new to TV or broadcast,” he said.

The senator also chided President Arroyo for prematurely saying that she is going to veto the bill. “What’s unusual is that the President threatened to veto it when she has not read the final form… and so the President and the presidential candidates are in good graces of the media even if they (senators) have to take their solemn votes,” Arroyo said.

Pimentel said it would be premature and irresponsible to say that the RORB faces presidential veto while the bill is still being crafted and debated by Congress.

Pimentel shrugged off reports Mrs. Arroyo would thumb down the proposal supposedly because she is against any infringement on press freedom.