Palace welcomes shelving of Right of Reply bill

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang welcomed the House of Representatives’ shelving of the controversial Right of Reply bill, saying it’s a sign that the legislators are listening to the concerns raised by affected sectors, specifically the media.

“We are happy with this development in the House. It shows that the House is seriously deliberating on the issue and it is really listening to sentiments on the bill, especially those coming from the media,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in Filipino in an interview with radio dzRB.

He said that with its decision, the House would have more time for other important pieces of legislation that need to be tackled immediately.

Remonde said it’s up to Congress to decide on whether to revive the bill at a later time.

Remonde earlier said President Arroyo would veto any measure deemed threatening to press freedom.

A former head of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas (KBP), Remonde argued there is no need for a right of reply law since media members generally practice fair reporting.

While claiming that the President herself has been a victim of abuse by the media, Remonde said the Palace would rather see press freedom abused than curtailed.

Meanwhile, the National Press Club said it will not hesitate to challenge the Right of Reply bill before the Supreme Court if it gets approved in Congress and is signed into law by Malacañang.

“We are for the outright junking of the measure because there are enough safeguards to the existing laws. We have also been giving space for the replies. We will not stop the fight even if it reaches the Supreme Court,” Joel Egco, NPC director, said. – With Delon Porcalla and Eva Visperas