‘NTC Guilty of Prior
Restraint’ – NUJP
For the National Telecommunications
Commission (NTC), there is nothing wrong with issuing guidelines in
covering political events in crisis situations. This has been done in the
past, so Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006 is nothing new as far as the NTC
is concerned. The recent NTC memorandum, however, has generated much flak
from media practitioners, calling it a form of prior restraint.
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
Is this
content-based prior restraint by the government already?
The National
Telecommunications Commission (NTC)’s Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006
states that radio and television stations should not report on sensitive
issues during times of crisis.
To be
specific, the memorandum’s fifth paragraph states that the NTC supports
the strict injunction of the Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP,
Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines) for broadcast stations
“not to allow their facilities to be used for advocating the overthrow of
government by force or violence, and to not allow the broadcast of
materials which tend to propose/incite treason, rebellion, sedition, or
pose a clear and present danger to the State.” This was issued on March 3,
the same day that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted Proclamation
No. 1017 which declared a state of national emergency.
Macapagal-Arroyo
issued Proclamation No. 1017 on February 24, citing an alleged conspiracy
between the “extreme left” represented by the Communist Party of the
Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and
the “extreme right” represented by “military adventurists.” She also
issued General Order No. 5 which directs the police and military to
immediately carry out necessary and appropriate measures to prevent
terrorism and lawless violence.
Media
agencies have been subjected to heightened government monitoring since
Proclamation No. 1017 took effect. According to the producers of the
defunct radio program Ngayon Na, Bayan! which used to air on DZRJ,
the government had a hand in its cancellation last Feb. 24. The police
raided the office of The Daily Tribune and tried to raid that of
the tabloid Abante. Police officers were also deployed to
supposedly guard some media offices including GMA 7 and the
Catholic church-operated Radyo Veritas.
Despite the
lifting of Proclamation No. 1017, the harassment and intimidation of
journalists continue. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said that the PCIJ
could be charged with inciting to sedition for posting last year on its
website copies of the so-called “Hello Garci” tapes, in which a woman with
a voice similar to Macapagal-Arroyo’s is heard instructing a poll official
to rig the 2004 presidential election. He said that five PCIJ members are
being closely watched by the government. Presidential Chief of Staff Mike
Defensor was also quoted as saying that two other journalists could be
charged with inciting to sedition.
NTC Deputy
Commissioner Jorge Sarmiento said Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006 merely
reiterates existing memorandum circulars, namely Memorandum Circulars No.
11-12-85 and 22-89. “1985 and 1989 were coup d ‘etat times,”
Sarmiento said. He admitted that the issuance of Memorandum Circular No.
1-3-2006 is related to Proclamation No. 1017.
The broad
united front against the Marcos dictatorship grew in 1983 following the
assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., a leading opposition
figure. The year 1985 saw many of the biggest anti-Marcos actions, which
included several waves of Lakbayan (literally, long march) and
welgang bayan (people’s strike). On the other hand, the bloodiest
attempted coup d’etat happened in December 1989 when renegade
soldiers led by then Col. Gregorio Honasan tried to seize power.
Sarmiento
said that after the issuance of Proclamation No. 1017, the NTC called for
a series of dialogues with broadcast stations to explore areas of
cooperation in relation to the continued enforcement of Memorandum
Circular Nos. 11-12-85 and 22-89. “The said memorandum circulars have
provisions prohibiting false information, false observations and these
were reiterated.”
Asked if
Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006 is a prohibition on interviews with
personalities and groups calling for the removal of the existing
government, Sarmiento said it is not. “The new memorandum circular
acknowledges the program standards of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng
Pilipinas (KBP or Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines) and when
the NTC issues circulars, they circulate these also. You can still
interview rebels, or fugitives, but they have guidelines on how to do it,
and we are adopting these. But when complaints are filed against you
before us, we can forward these to the KBP and it would be up to them to
take the necessary actions.”
However,
Carlos H. Conde, secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists of
the Philippines (NUJP), disagreed with Sarmiento.
“(The fifth)
paragraph (of NTC Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006) clearly disallows
broadcast networks from airing anything coming from groups who want to get
rid of the administration,” Conde said. “The danger here is that any group
that has legitimate views against the government can easily be subjected
to this prohibition.”
“I am
willing to concede that, if there’s an actual conflict, the government
could step in,” Conde added. “But what’s happening is an obvious attempt
by the government to muzzle all criticism by using rebellion as a
justification. If their only concern is the plot to overthrow the
government, why go after the PCIJ (Philippine Center for Investigative
Journalism) or other media groups?”
Conde also
took issue with Sarmiento’s view that Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006
does not impose prior restraint on broadcast stations. “It prohibits
networks from airing materials that the NTC deems inimical to the interest
of the government,” he stressed. “That is prior restraint.”
Conde also
said Memorandum Circular No. 1-3-2006 could lead to more broadcast
journalists suffering the fate of TV reporters Tina Panganiban-Perez and
Julius Babao. “The government can easily invoke this memo anytime it
pleases against broadcasters,” he said.
Panganiban-Perez
was accused by Macapagal-Arroyo of “abetting rebellion” for interviewing
Honasan in 2003, shortly after about 300 junior military officers took
control of the Oakwood Hotel in Makati City. Honasan was accused of
involvement in the said mutiny.
Meanwhile,
Babao was accused by the AFP of aiding suspected terrorist Dawud Santos,
leader of the Rajah Sulayman Movement which has admitted perpetrating the
so-called “Valentine’s Day bombings” of 2005. Bulatlat
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