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#Bulatlat20 | ‘Red-tagging is meant to silence democratic discourse’
February 7, 2021
In the past months, the red-tagging of journalists and press freedom advocates have intensified, in an apparent attempt to suppress those who dare to ask questions that needed to be asked and write reports that the public needs to know. As Bulatlat turns 20, we invited Nonoy Espina, chairperson of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, to tell us how red-tagging affects us in our crucial role in truth-telling and holding the powerful to account.
By NONOY ESPINA
Journalists, advocates bike for detained colleagues
MANILA Journalists and press freedom advocates held a Pedal for Press Freedom this morning, Feb. 7, marking the first year of detention of Tacloban-based journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio.
Cumpio, executive director of online media outfit Eastern Vista, was arrested last year along with four human rights defenders. They were charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
The route of the bike ride highlighted the pressing issues hounding the media recently.
Members of Altermidya-People’s Media Network, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, ABS-CBN Employees Union and Photojournalists Center of the Philippines (PCP), and progressive organizations pedaled from the University of the Philippines in Diliman to ABS-CBN.
A Mandaluyong court has junked the case against a journalist and a union organizer who were arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives last December.
By TED CORDERO, GMA News
Published February 6, 2021 3:39pm Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and his co-petitioners cited Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) chief Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr.’s threat against a justice beat reporter in their latest filing before the SC to oppose the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. In a manifestation submitted to the high court, Carpio’s group said that a social media account under the name “Antonio Parlade” had published a post directed against Inquirer.net’s Tetch Torres-Tupas claiming that her story on the two members of the Aeta community seeking help from the SC after being allegedly tortured by state forces was “FAKE.”
SunStar
+ February 05, 2021 NEWLY assumed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Cirilito Sobejana said military officials are not supposed to threaten people in order to gain their trust and be effective in their mandate.
“The reason for our existence is to serve the people and securing the land, no threatening among our constituents kasi paano kami magiging effective public servant if we threaten (them).Unless they are identified as enemies of the state,” he said in an interview on Thursday afternoon, February 4, 2021, when he took the helm of the AFP.
Sobejana was asked for his reaction to the threat issued by Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) commanding officer Antonio Parlade Jr. to file charges against an Inquirer.net reporter.