Accountability sought over NTF-ELCAC 'black propaganda' vs ABS-CBN, Rappler's Ressa

MANILA, Philippines — Within days of the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, journalists and media groups condemned what they said was black propaganda being peddled by the government's anti-communist task force against members of the media, including broadcast giant ABS-CBN.

The statement comes a day after the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict incorrectly claimed in a series of graphics that ABS-CBN's "request for franchise renewal was disapproved" as a result of numerous legal issues—previously addressed at a Senate hearing and in a pleading at the Supreme Court—that were raised against the network.

The Palace communications team, which is itself a member of the NTF-ELCAC, has since washed its hands of the social media post that it shared on its official Facebook page.

READ: Anti-communist task force, PCOO spread false claims on ABS-CBN franchise

The anti-communist task force also accused Rappler CEO Maria Ressa of spreading "fake news" when she mistakenly said on ABC News that ABS-CBN has 11 million workers instead of 11,000.

She apologized for the lapse on Saturday morning, saying she had made a mistake and that her "mind raced ahead to market cap when I was there, which was in hundreds of millions of dollars."

"The constant government attacks have chipped away 67% of its stock price," Ressa, a former head of ABS-CBN News, said.

READ: House inaction led to ABS-CBN shutdown — FLAG

The statement, signed by an initial 64 individuals and 24 organizations, said the "Facebook posts, while they have been taken down, are a brazenly criminal abuse of authority on the part of the NTF-ELCAC, replete with half-truths and outright lies that willfully endanger Maria and the management and personnel of the network that government shut down." 

"The only reason we can think of why a government entity tasked to combat the communist insurgency would wage a propaganda offensive against media persons and outfits is if government now considers us the enemy."

"In fact, General Antonio Parlade, NTF-ELCAC spokesman, indicated as much. In a May 8 Philippine News Agency report, while insisting that press freedom was alive in this country, also warned critics of the ABS-CBN shutdown: 'Yes to law and order! Otherwise you might just get the martial law that you deserve.'," the statement also reads.

The statement also noted that while Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar has disavowed the posts PCOO shared, "neither did he apologize for his agency’s involvement nor even promise an investigation to identify those responsible for this reprehensibly irresponsible action."

Shrinking space for fundamental freedoms

The NTF-ELCAC is an attached task force under the Office of the President by virtue of Executive Order No. 70. Duterte is chair of the national task force. 

In defending its involvement in speaking out about ABS-CBN, the NTF-ELCAC in a post on Sunday said: "We are fully cognizant about how the terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF exploits the ABS-CBN closure and views it as an opportunity to sow chaos and division." 

It did not explain why it made false statements about the network's franchise issues.

"Let us keep BAYAN, Amnesty International Phil, NUJP, CEGP, AHRW, Karapatan, IBON, ARTISTA, and the International League of People's Struggle of Jose Ma Sison, especially the CPP's underground mass organizations amongst them (Artista at Manunulat ng Sambayanan or ARMAS, Christians for National Liberation, KM, Lumaban, etc) OUT of this issue, lest we allow them to drag us into their trap and swallow the narrative they force down our throats — tyranny," it also said.

ABS-CBN News quotes Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, whose agency is a member of the NTF-ELCAC, as saying Saturday night: "I have no idea as to why NTF-ELCAC would post such a statement that has no relevance to its mandate."

On World Press Freedom Day, many of the groups that signed the statement on Sunday called out limits on and threats to press freedom in the Philippines. 

In 2019, a Social Weather Stations nationwide survey found that 51% of Filipinos agreed that it is "dangerous" to print or broadcast anything critical of the administration, even if it is the truth. 

Many have slammed the National Telecommunications Commission's cease and desist order issued against ABS-CBN Corporation as an attack on the free press, pointing  at the chief executive's documented ire for the network. 

The chief executive had repeatedly threatened the broadcast giant in the past, saying their legislative franchise would not be renewed if it were up to him. The Palace has since distanced itself from the order for ABS-CBN to stop broadcasting, saying legislative franchises are up to Congress.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, head of the administration-dominated House of Repreentatives, on Friday said ABS-CBN being off the air  is due to the “flip-flopping of the NTC and the unconstitutional meddling by the solicitor general in the business of Congress.”

RELATED: Duterte warns media critics of retaliation | Press groups record 128 cases of attacks vs media under Duterte admin

In their statement, the media groups called for a probe within the NTF to identify the persons responsible for the posts.  

"We demand that government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), immediately mount an investigation into who in the NTF-ELCAC were responsible for ordering and creating the slanderous posts and why," the statement said. 

"At a time when our people are battling a deadly pandemic, it is extremely unacceptable that there are those in government who are making media repression, not saving lives, as the priority."

The statement was signed by the following media personalities and organizations:

Individual signatories

1. Manny Mogato
2. Inday Espina-Varona
3. Marites Vitug
4. Etta Rosales
5. Antonio J. Montalvan II
6. Eunice Barbara C. Novio
7. Tony La Viña
8. John Nery
9. Noemi L. Dado
10. Leslie Manalo
11. Lisa Garcia
12. Bart Guingona
13. Al Alegre
14. Marian Pastor Roces
15. Gang Badoy
16. Ramon Tuazon
17. Tess Bacalla
18. Joel Pablo Salud, editor and author
19. Ellen Tordesillas
20. Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News
21. Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News
22. Sheilla Diamse, ABS-CBN News
23. Melanie S. Masecampo, ABS-CBN News
24. Brian Vallesteros, ABS-CBN News
25. Sarah Herrera, ABS-CBN News
26. Gigi Gervasio, ABS-CBN News
27. Reyjohn Mark Sangcap, ABS-CBN News
28. Descirey Villanueva, ABS-CBN News
29. Engelbert Apostol, ABS-CBN News
30. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News
31. Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News
32.  Isay Reyes, ABS-CBN News
33.  Bea Cupin, Rappler
34.  Pia Ranada, Rappler
35.  Jodesz Gavilan, Rappler
36.  Matthew Reysio-Cruz, Philippine Daily Inquirer
37.  Herbie Gomez, Mindanao Gold Star Daily
38.  Cong Corrales, Mindanao Gold Star Daily
39.  Antonio J Montalvan II
40.  Lucia Tangi, UP Department of Journalism
41.  Ivy Lisa Mendoza, UP Department of Journalism
42.  Janvic Mate, UP Department of Journalism
43.  Felipe F Salvosa II, UST Journalism faculty
44.  Christian V Esguerra, UST Journalism faculty
45.  Anna Cielo T Perez, UST Journalism faculty
46.  J Alwyn T Alburo, UST Journalism faculty
47.  Ferdinand J Maglalang, UST Journalism faculty
48.  Leo O Laparan II, UST Journalism faculty
49.  Danilo Arao, associate editor, Bulatlat
50.  Beatrice Puente, editor-in-chief, Philippine Collegian
51.  Rommel Rutor, president, Samar Island Press Club
52.  Mate Espina
53.  Jes Aznar
54.  Jairo Bolledo, PUP Department of Journalism
55.  Pat S Roque
56.  Julie Alipala
57.  Raffy Cabristante
58.  Jojo Riñoza
59.  JB R Deveza
60.  Tyrone Velez, SunStar Davao
61.  Frank Cimatu, Cordillera News Agency/Baguio Writers Group
62.  Ed Lingao
63.  Barnaby Lo
64. Stanley Buenafe Gajete

Organizations

1.  Rappler
2.  Philippine Press Institute
3.  Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
4.  Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
5.  Mindanews
6.  National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
7.  NUJP-Europe
8.  NUJP-Albay
9.  NUJP-Baguio Benguet
10.  NUJP-Europe
11. NUJP-National Capital Region
12. NUJP-Samar
13. Consortium on Democracy and Disinformation
14. VERA Files
15. Photojournalists Center of the Philippines       
16. Kodao Productions
17. Bulatlat
18. Panay Today
19. Dampig Katarungan
20. Panaysayon
21. Altermidya Network
22. Northern Dispatch
23. Davao Today
24. College Editors Guild of the Philippines