NPC to P. Noy - thank you po!

The National Press Club expresses its profound gratitude to President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III for listening to consistent calls to spare the three broadcasters recommended by the Incident Investigation Review Commission (IIRC) from those to be prosecuted for culpabilities or liabilities arising from the August 23, 2010 hostage drama at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta Manila that ended in the deaths of eight tourists from Hong Kong and of hostage-taker Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza.

The NPC has been calling on the President to spare these broadcasters, Michael Rogas, Jake Maderazo and Erwin Tulfo, from the charges the government intended to initiate because doing so would bring out a bad impression on the part of the administration of P-Noy that he is muzzling the press in the Philippines.

The Club is also thankful to P-Noy that television stations GMA 7, ABS-CBN and ABC 5 were spared from the list of those that or who would be called to answer for the tragic end of the hostage crisis.

It is noteworthy that the President noted that newsmen involved in the coverage of the hostage crisis were already sanctioned by their own news organizations, citing particularly the interviews of Rogas, Maderazo and Tulfo as acts of giving the hostage-taker a platform to air his demands. Although he labeled these acts as “bordering on the criminal,” what is important is he recognized the need to let the press regulate its own brethren.

However, the NPC wishes to stress Section 4, Article 3 of the Constitution that says: “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of expression, of speech, and of the press...” 

This constitutional law means that Congress cannot make a law that will in any way regulate the manner of gathering of information by journalists and ordinary citizens who want to express or air their grievances through any form of media.   While jurisprudence allows subsequent punishment in very rare cases of press acts, the principle has never changed: that “prior restraint” is prohibited.

With this as the end, the NPC now declares it is no longer filing a class action suit against all public officers other than President for violation of Article 32 of the Civil Code, the law that expressly grants the right to seek damages for any violation of press freedom.

The media has learned so much from this tragedy. Every news organization has been compelled to review and improve its code of ethics in crisis coverage. Every newsman becomes more aware that life is more important than a news story.

Lim kinampihan si Ombudsman Gutierrez

NATUTUWA si Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim dahil ibina­sura ng Malacañang ang rekomendasyon ng IIRC laban kina Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez at Manila Vice-Mayor Isko Moreno dahil ang mga ito aniya ay wala naman talagang mga kasalanan.

Hindi naman aatrasan ni Lim ang kasong isinampa sa kanya bagkus ay haharapin niya itong mag-isa para patunayan sa madlang people na wala siyang kasalanan sa hostage taking incident dyan sa Quirino Grandstand last August 23.

Natuwa si Fred ng isama para makasuhan si SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, utol ni Sr. Inspector Rolando Mendoza matapos na hindi siya makasama sa report ng IIRC.

Tungkol naman sa isyu kay P. Noy alaws sama ng loob si Mayor sa una sa pagsasama sa kanya sa kaso dahil para kay Fred mas maganda ito para mapatunayan niya sa madlang people of the Republic of the Philippines my Philippines at mabigyan ng linaw kung sino talaga ang may sala.

Pinayuhan ni Lim ang mga constituent niya na huwag mag-alala dahil tuloy as in continue ang serbisyo niya sa Manila.

Sabi nga, Good luck, Mayor!