Nograles, media executives to discuss Right of Reply bill

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles will hold a dialogue with executives of various print and broadcast media entities today to discuss the Right of Reply Bill (ROR) now pending in Congress.

The closed-door meeting will be held at Melo’s Restaurant in front of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. on Sergeant Esguerra street in Quezon City, according to Gil Bugaoisan, Nograles’s media adviser.

Nograles said he has instructed the House committee on rules chaired by Majority Leader Arthur Defensor to “hold the discussion” on the issue in plenary.

“I will host dinner with top officers of media groups,” he said.

“Dialogue will cure this problem. Lack of it will cause grave misunderstanding. We shall avoid the latter. Let’s look for a win-win solution.

“I just do not know why media are looking at the House when it was the Senate that voted 21 to zero for this bill. Now we are the one in the hot seat? I’m puzzled.”

Nograles and Deputy Speaker for Visayas Raul del Mar are set to meet Cebu-based media groups.

The RORB should go “hand-in-hand with the decriminalization of libel,” he added.

Nograles raised the need for more dialogue with stakeholders to ensure that the bill would not trample on freedoms of the press and expression after it becomes law.

“House survey shows that overwhelming majority supports the right of reply bill,” he said.

“But my personal position on this issue is this: I would like to conduct more dialogue and consultations with the stakeholders before recommending the committee on public information to endorse this to the plenary.

“Personally, I support this measure, but it should go hand-in-hand with the proposal to decriminalize libel. Let’s face it, while some media practitioners always make it a point to balance their stories by getting all sides before publication or airing, there are also some who do not.

“On the other hand, many of the media practitioners that I’ve talked to also complain that public officials do not answer calls when they are asked to reply on issues raised against them.”

The House also approved on second reading last week a companion-measure (House Bill 5760) and a counter-balance – the decriminalization of libel.

Nograles also proposed that all government agencies and public officials should designate accessible spokesmen to answer calls from the media “so they can be given the chance to reply when issues are raised against them.”

Last week, the House leadership decided to hold in abeyance plenary debates on the Right of Reply Bill, to give more time to study the various proposals given by media groups not just from Manila, but in the provinces as well, like in Cebu City.

Lawmakers told to back out

Media group Samahang Plaridel urged lawmakers to withdraw their support for the Right of Reply Bill. “Legislation to compel journalists to do their jobs properly is not only unnecessary, but dangerous,” the group said in a statement.

“Used improperly, the threat of fines in the Right of Reply Bill can discourage journalists from performing their main responsibility: unearthing the truth.”

Neil Cruz, Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist, said journalists have been exercising fair and balanced reporting, including getting all sides of an issue.

“The press already gives right of reply at present. It is part of the (Journalists’) Code of Ethics, policies and practices,” he said.

 “A law that is unnecessary is subject to abuse.”

The Samahang Plaridel said responsible journalism dictates that media tell all sides of a story.

“The letter to the editor section of our broadsheets is peppered everyday with the statements of those wanting to express their sentiments regarding the stories concerning them; rarely do we see news programs interview only one party in any dispute,” the group said.

The Samahang Plaridel said freedom of the press is a right that they obtained 23 years ago after many mediamen risked their lives to report the evils of a totalitarian regime bent on suppressing their rights.

“Today, that regime is long gone, but the threats against our freedoms remain,” the group said.

“The Right of Reply Bill represents such a threat, and as we did 23 years before, we pledge to continue fighting for our right to tell the truth.

“We call on our responsible members of Congress to withdraw their support for this measure to ensure that the media can continue to fulfill its role – that of reporting the news without fear or favor.”

Among the founders of the Samahang Plaridel was the late STAR chairman and publisher Max Soliven.

At the weekly Kapihan sa Manila forum, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said the Right of Reply Bill is not intended to curtail the freedom of the press.  – With Helen Flores