Published May 3, 2021, 9:49 AM
Commission on Human Rights
Filipino journalists deserve to exercise their profession without any fear of violence, intimidation, and harassment, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) declared on Monday, May 3, in the observance of the World Press Freedom Day.
“Journalists give voice to the voiceless, poor, and marginalized. No time is better than now to support them in their fight for truth and justice,” the CHR stressed.
Through Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann De Guia, the CHR paid tribute to the important role of journalists particularly amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
De Guia said that because of the untiring efforts of the members of the Philippine press, the public is kept abreast with the most factual and relevant information, on top of holding those in power to account.
Published May 1, 2021, 3:26 PM
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. made a promise on Saturday, May 1, that he will look into the Senate’s call for the removal of Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. as a spokesperson of the government’s anti-insurgency task force.
Senators Panfilo Lacson and Franklin Drilon have insisted that the designation of Parlade, commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command (SoLCom), as a spokesperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), a civilian position, violates the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
“Mayroon nga silang panukala na i-censure na nga nila si Gen. Parlade, ngayon pinapatanggal nila na spokesperson. Mayroon kaming usapan niyan ni Sen. Lacson na titignan ko (They [senators] have a resolution that censures Gen. Parlade, and now they want him out as a spokesperson. Sen. Lacson and I have already talked about it and I will look into it),” said Esperon, vice chairman of the NTF-ELCAC, at
If anyone should be held accountable for any adverse effects of anti-parasitic drug ivermectin, it is the people who chose to take it, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Saturday, May 1.
Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III
Sotto issued the statement after medical and pharmacists
Senate President Vicente Sotto III (Office of Sen. Sotto/https://vicentesotto.com)
Sotto made the vow when asked about the opposition of local chief executives and barangay (village) officials on the proposed defunding of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) amid criticisms over its red-tagging activities.
“Tell them I’m on their side. I’ll work on it,” the Senate chief told reporters in a Viber message.
Sotto has been opposed to the appeal of some senators to defund the NTF-ELCAC as its spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., again came under fire for linking community pantry organizers to communist rebels. But he supported their appeal to censure Parlade for attacking senators for their call.
By HANA BORDEY, GMA News
Published April 29, 2021 10:00am President Rodrigo Duterte will not likely certify the bill criminalizing red-tagging as urgent, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Thursday. “The prerogative of president, he may or may not grant the request to certify the bill as urgent, but looking at the current priorities of this present administration, I mean the legislative agenda, it doesn’t look very probable that the president will issue a certificate for urgency,” Guevarra said on ANC. He explained that the administration has already laid down its legislative priorities and Duterte will “most likely” follow his agenda. “This matter of anti-red tagging bill does not fall in that legislative agenda,” Guevarra said.