Tulfo pushes magna carta for media workers

MANILA, Philippines — Citing the trauma experienced by reporters during the eruption of gunfire on May 13 at the Senate, Sen. Erwin Tulfo is renewing his push for the passage of the Media Workers’ Magna Carta.

Tulfo criticized authorities for allegedly restricting media access during the chaotic incident, arguing that the presence of the press could have ensured accountability and deterred further violence.

“The authorities present at the scene should have allowed the reporters, cameramen, to cover the premises,” Tulfo said in a radio interview, saying that footage from the press could have served “as a proof that the security, the law enforcement, if they really followed the protocol.”

“At the same time, it is also to protect them because when so-called perpetrators find out that there’s media presence, they will think twice before firing their guns,” he added.

Tulfo pointed out that reporters assigned to the Senate beat are not trained for combat or police operations, making the sudden eruption of gunfire inside the legislative building particularly distressing.

“For instance, the Senate media are not accustomed to these kinds of shootouts. Certainly, it traumatized them. We even heard some reporters crying while doing their live commentary. That’s how endangered they were at the moment,” Tulfo said.

The security crisis prompted Tulfo to reiterate the urgency of Senate Bill No. 249, or the “Magna Carta for Workers in the Media and News Industry Act.”

The measure seeks to mandate minimum compensation, hazard pay, security of tenure, and insurance benefits for media workers.

Calling the current lack of safety guarantees and meager benefits a “blatant disrespect” to the profession, Tulfo stressed that lawmakers must prioritize the welfare of the press.

“This measure is not just about improving journalists’ economic well-being, it affirms their dignity and rights as they stand on the frontlines to hold the line for press freedom,” Tulfo said.

“The May 13 incident in the Senate which threatened the safety of Filipino reporters is only one of the daily struggles they face. Let us give them the compensation and support that they are entitled to,” he concluded.