Another lawmaker opposes removal of press offices at DOJ

MANILA, Philippines - Another lawmaker has opposed the plan to remove two press offices at the main building of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones, a former media practitioner, assailed the DOJ move to relocate offices of the Justice and Court Reporters Association (JUCRA) and Justice Reporters Organization (JUROR) based on a supposed National Intelligence Coordinating Agency report that members of media are a security threat.

“If they said they don’t have enough budget to protect witnesses, then why the need for this facelift of their offices?” he asked.

“They should prioritize increasing conviction in cases and protecting the witnesses.”

Palmones said it is unacceptable to tag media members as a security threat.

“Never have we heard of any instance where a member of the media has been involved in criminality such as assassination,” he said.

“If we take that line of thinking, then we have a big problem. Media has been policing its own ranks all these years.”

Palmones said he plans to file a resolution calling for an investigation in the House of Representatives about the relocation of the two press offices.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, a former journalist, had already hinted on a possible congressional inquiry on the matter.

The House committee on public information chairman took exception to the DOJ’s tag of media members as security threat.

Several groups have already condemned DOJ’s move to transfer the press offices to another building away from its executive offices: National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, National Press Club, Gabriela and militant groups Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

The JUCRA has asked the DOJ to release the NICA report, which officials have cited as among the bases for the eviction order.

“We are calling on the DOJ to release the supposed report of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency that tagged our members as a security threat,” JUCRA said.

“We believe that such tag is unfair and unjust since it presumes that we are not policing our own ranks.”