Zubiri to media: ‘Tulungan niyo naman kami’
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday called on the Philippine media to help improve the country’s international image after the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) called out the government over its drug war and media killings.
Zubiri made his appeal during a press briefing, following the filing of murder charges against two officials of the Bureau of Corrections and others in connection with the assassination of broadcast commentator Percival “Ka Percy Lapid” Mabasa.
The UNHRC expressed concern that the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 was being used to “legitimize the targeting of government critics, human rights defenders and journalists, including through ‘red-tagging,’ and consequent chilling effects on freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association.”
“I appeal to the media, tulungan niyo naman kami na pagandahin ang imahe ng Pilipinas, (I appeal to the media, please help us improve the image of the Philippines),” Zubiri told members of the media.
The Senate president even insisted that freedom of the press still exists in the country despite reports that the press freedom ranking of the Philippines declined this year.
The country slipped nine spots to 147th out of 180 countries in the 2022 World Press Freedom Index by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
.“We are a free media. May pumipigil ba sa report ninyo sa Senate? Wala di ba? (Did anyone here in the Senate prevent you (from reporting)? Nobody, right?),” he said.
“Katulad noong Percy Lapid, Nahuli na nga iyong bumaril at mahuhuli na nga iyong mastermind. Tumulong naman kayo iannounce yan sa buong mundo. Buti sana kung hindi inaksyunan, e inaksyunan naman (Just like the Percy Lapid case. The shooter has been caught, the mastermind will soon be apprehended. Please help us to announce this to the whole world. Actions had been taken,” Zubiri added.
Lapid was the second journalist killed under the administration of President Marcos Jr. after broadcaster Rey Blanco was stabbed to death in Negros Oriental last September.
After Lapid’s shooting, the embassies of Canada and the Netherlands said: “Journalist killings create a chilling effect that curtails the ability of journalists to report news freely and safely.” The two countries are co-chairs of the Media Freedom Coalition.
He added that the country is better than other nations where people could not freely express their opinion. Furthermore, he rejected the notion that a chilling effect existed in the Philippines because journalists were not forcibly stopped from doing their job.
“From the United States to Europe, they have share of problems of immigration and illegal detention of immigrants. No one is pointing fingers at them for their human rights (violations). I don’t think that’s right. Then they [bring up] the media killings [here],” he said.
“Nagagalit lang kapag sa tingin nila mali ang nailabas. Pero hindi naman forcibly pinipigilan kayo. When we were in the European Union, sabi namin ni Sen. Loren Legarda, kausap naming sila, sabi namin, it is not fair to paint the Philippines like that. The reason why you get news like that because our media are free.”
“Do you want the chilling effect? You all go to China. Can I invite you to China and do your reporting there? You will be caught on site and brought on site. That’s a chilling effect,” Zubiri reasoned.
The People’s Republic of China is ruled by the Chinese Communist Party.
“The reason why you get news like that because our media are free. In Malaysia, there’s an Anti-Terror Law wherein you are not allowed to say bad things against government programs, they can shut you down. Same goes to Vietnam.”
Zubiri also has decried as “unfair” the UNHRC’s evaluation of the Philippines’ efforts against reported extrajudicial killings and other violations.
“Ano na ba ‘yun? Ang tagal-tagal na. Lumang tugtugin na ‘yun… It’s unfair for the UN to tag us that,” he told reporters at the briefing.
The UNHRC, in its November 3, 2022 report posted on its website, underlined their concern over the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
The report included its recommendation for the Philippine government to “replace an exclusively punitive approach to drug control with one fully in line with the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights).”
Zubiri said the drug war is already a thing of the past as the new president has already stated that he will apply “maximum tolerance” on drug offenders.
“As you can see, wala naman ako nakikitang namamatay,” he said.
Netizens expressed their anger and dismay at Zubiri’s statements, for implying that Kian Delos Santos and thousands like him who were casualties of Duterte’s “war on drugs” did not count as extra-judicial killings.
Netizens also reminded Zubri that the press’ responsibility is to report facts and not to serve as propagandists for the country or any politician.
