STATEMENT: Right to Know, Right Now Coalition/Bantay FOI! Sulong FOI! Campaign on President Aquino’s Failure to Endorse the FOI Bill to LEDAC
Dear BPC members and friends,
I am posting the statement as forwarded to me by Nepo M. of the coalition. Please read and send comments to bukidnonpressclub@gmai.com or my email. Please send reactions/words of support or violent reactions.
We are supposed to be the prime movers of the FOI in our areas/communities. I hope this helps in providing you updates on the push for the passing of the law on the freedom of information as guaranteed in our Constitution.
Best,
Walter B.
START OF STATEMENT
17 August 2011
As PNoy defaults on FOI,
Congress must now take the lead
Kung talagang gusto, hahanap ng paraan.
Kung talagang ayaw, hahanap ng dahilan.
This is exactly where President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III stands on the proposed Freedom of Information bill, which seeks only to enforce a constitutionally guaranteed right of the people to know and secure documents in the custody of government agencies. Read the rest of this entry
Pagasa at tiwala sa community media*
(Welcome Remarks of Walter I. Balane, President, Bukidnon Press Club during the 78th National Assembly of the Catholic Media Network at the Diocesan Formation Center, Impalambong, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon; July 4, 2011, 7:30p.m)
Magandang gabi po sa inyong lahat. Maayong gabii sa inyong tanan. Sa Binukid, Maayad ha daluman ta inyo alan!
Despite the usual cold weather of our city and the additional freeze factor of a possible typhoon, the members of the Bukidnon press community offer you warm and joyous welcome to Malaybalay and the rest of Bukidnon.
First of all, Congratulations to the organizers for putting together this big occasion. Alam po namin na hindi naging madali ang paghahandang ginawa para sa pagtitipong ito. Ito marahil ay isang napakahalagang gawain ninyo.
This comes in a time when the country is in a crossroads.
Mapakaraming pagsubok po ang hinaharap, lalong lalo na nating mga kasapi ng community media. Read the rest of this entry
Bukidnon media community to hold 1st BUKIDNON MEDIA SUMMIT
Bukidnon Press Club General Assembly meeting on June 30/Photo by Iyrene Dalipe
The members of the Bukidnon Press Club and other media organizations in Bukidnon decided to hold the 1st Bukidnon Media Summit in Valencia City on August 6 to 8, 2011.
This is expected to be a gathering of the practitioners of the news media and other stakeholders for training, assessment, and planning.
The organizers are in talks with the Mindanao Media Forum for fund sourcing and the KBP – Bukidnon chapter, NUJP Bukidnon chapter and the association of public information officers in Bukidnon.
The organizers are also looking for private sector partners for the 1st Bukidnon Media Summit.
UMBN Radyo Ukay/Wild FM Valencia station manager Nonita Rosales heads the organizing committee with Gold Star Daily’s Anabelle Tenorio and Love Radio Malaybalay’s Armando Benebaye as members.
More details will be posted after the final organizational meeting on July 12 in Malaybalay City. (BPC Today staff)
KBP scorns, fines networks for hostage crisis coverage
GMA-7 skirts fee but also under fire
KBP fines ABS-CBN 2, TV5, RMN for hostage crisis coverage
By Ed Lingao
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
TEN MONTHS, nine lives, and a flurry of finger-pointing and paper work later, the controversy over the media coverage of the 2010 Luneta hostage-taking incident by the country’s biggest and most influential television and radio networks has come down to feeble fines of P30,000, and a virtual slap on the wrist.
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the national association of owners and operators of radio and television stations in the country, has levied fines on two major television networks and one radio network for broadcasting information that it ruled could have compromised police efforts to rescue the hostages during the day-long hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand on Aug. 23, 2010.
The KBP Standards Authority ordered ABS-CBN Broadcasting Channel 2, Associated Broadcasting Company Channel 5 (now known as TV5), and radio station Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN, which was earlier called Radio Mindanao Network) to each pay P30,000 in penalty for violations of the KBP broadcast code.
Read full report here.
Does self-regulation have a future in the Philippines?
By the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
The media are not only failing to regulate themselves; more importantly, some media organizations are actually depending on the government to intervene, in effect eroding the very principle of self-regulation itself.
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (Association of Broadcasters of the Philippines, KBP) Standards Authority released recently a decision on the Aug. 23, 2010 hostage-taking incident, which included the imposition of fines on member-networks for violating the KBP Broadcast Code. Before it issued the decision, the KBP also revised Article 6 (Crime and Crisis Situations) of its Broadcast Code to help media organizations avoid making the same mistakes they made during the Aug. 23 hostage taking incident should something similar happen in the future. (See sidebar “Approved Amendments to Article 6, Crime and Crisis Situations, KBP Broadcast Code”.)
Read the full report here.
Approval of BPC SEC registration and other BPC Updates
Hi BPC members and friends:
Kumustamos?
Ania ang pipila ka mga updates.
1. SEC Registration – The Special Projects Committee headed by our Vice President Mr. Armando Benebaye (with the help of Nong Dodo Romano) reported that the Bukidnon Press Club, formed in 1960, is now officially registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our SEC Registration No. is CN2011-28272.
The committee’s next move is to process the documents needed for the issuance of our official receipt by the Bureau of Internal Revenues (BIR).
Again, we would like to congratulate the committee for this accomplishment.
2. VENUE for Kapihan and General Assembly/BOD meetings – Mr. Jose Roy Panis, general manager of the Sir Edward’s Restaurant approved our request that we can hold our assemblies in their restaurant beginning May 2010. Our May 2011 Kapihan on May 25 from 1:30 to 3p.m. will be held at the restaurant. The Secretariat will provide more details about this in a separate announcement/notice of meeting.
From now on, the Kapihan at Sir Edwards dubbed as “Kapihan sa Bukidnon Press Club” will be coordinated by our Asst. Secretary Ms. Mary Ann Noble in cooperation with Mr. Rudy Tagimacruz, the BPC media coordinator. As usual, we will work closely with each media outlet and the PIA Bukidnon office.
We are, however, apologetic about our failure to hold our first Kapihan in May 2011 due to some constraints. Basically, we had problems with guests even with the approval of our venue.
3. New applicants/ Renewal of membership - We are working with Mr. Louie Tapdasan, membership committee chair, about their schedule to process the applications for new members and the renewal of the returning members. Our target is by the first half of June, the process will be initiated and soon after the ID cards will be distributed (after all the requirements are complied with.) The membership committee has to convene (Attention Sir Louie) before the board of directors’ meeting to iron out compliance to requirements.
Again, the ID will be released upon completion by the membership committee of the process. For starters the process involves convening the memcom to recommend who among the applicants have completed requirements and for the regular members to vote.
The logo and id design have been finally revised by Sir Rhondell Paraiso and a copy of which was given to our secretary Ms. Ana Ninfa Bago Caballero last week.
Again, we commend Mr. Paraiso for his art, volunteerism, and support to the BPC.
4. Journalism Refresher Courses Partner – The flagship program of the BPC this year is the Journalism Refresher Courses on Basic Reporting, Media Law, and Media Ethics. Aside from lobbying for slots from Bukidnon for these trainings, we have also planned our in-house trainings.
Our secretary Ms. Ana Ninfa Bago Caballero is in Cebu City, representing the BPC in the Basic Legal Competency Forum for Journalists as part of our preparation for the refresher courses.
On May 17, I have met with Ms. Amy Cabusao, the convener of the Mindanao Media Forum in Davao City. She told me the MMF is willing to shoulder some of the expenses in holding the training. She is expecting us to submit a concept paper or proposal. One of the options is to hold the Bukidnon Media Summit. The first option, however, is to hold a series of lectures in the run up to the summit, which may serve as a planning session.
Ms. Cabusao will expect us to hold a meeting with her after the BOD/GA blesses our plan.
We also mentioned putting up our own sourcing to finance this training initiative and our other endeavors at BPC. We call it for the meantime as the “BPC Press Freedom and Responsibility Fund.” I am considering the idea to name it as the “Dioscoro Pontillas BPC Community Journalism Fund.” This is for discussion.
We are soliciting your suggestions on this and the other plans.
By the way, we need volunteers to handle the media survey to form as basis for the training initiative. Pleased see Eric Cacay of Q106 for this plan to be conducted early in June 2011.
The refresher courses are considered among the requirements for the release of the ID.
5. BOD Meeting – We are preparing for the first meeting of the Board of Directors on May 25. This will gather the heads of news outlets in the province, who will invite to become members of the BPC, too (if not yet members.) The meeting will focus on BPC’s plans, issues, and concerns.
6. RH Bill and FOI Bill discussions – We are also in talks with some groups for the discussion on the RH and FOI bills. Please share to us your suggestions on who invite and how to do it.
We plan to have a run through of the bill and the views of both sides from the proponent and opponent sectors.
Please take note, we posted a copy of the proposed RH bill for journalistic scrutiny so we could better understand the on-going discussions in Congress now.
Check this link at BPC Today: http://bukidnonpressclub.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/media-files-hb-4244-reproductive-health-responsible-parenthood-etc-act/
7. Collection of Membership Fees continuing. We will soon publish the names of those who already paid the annual dues. Our treasurer Ms. Nonita Rosales will facilitate receipt of payments.
This is all for now. We will give more updates to follow. These updates will be further discussed in the general assembly and the BOD meetings.
Thank you.
Best,
Walter I. Balane
BPC President
(As of May 18, 2011)
2011 Bukidnon Commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day (Suggested Discussion Guide)
2011 WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
BUKIDNON COMMEMORATION
RADIO HOP/DISCUSSIONS
SUGGESTED DISCUSSION GUIDE
On May 3 and on the run up to it, members of the news media are commemorating the World Press Freedom Day in Bukidnon.
This is probably the second time it will be held here in recent times with a concerted effort to spread understanding on the role of the news media in society and the citizens duties to its working press.
What are the Origins and the reasons behind an international commemoration of World Press Freedom Day?
The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991. Read the rest of this entry
MEDIA FILES: HB 4244 – Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood (etc) Act
Here is a copy of the bill, in case many of us still do not have a copy.
This might help us cover the issue better.
Best,
Walter B.
CONCRETE ACTION NEEDED TO STOP THE KILLINGS AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO III
From the Freedom
Fund for Filipino Journalists
AS THE
NATION takes its annual Holy Week retreat, the advocates for justice for slain
journalists and press freedom protection recall their hopes in your assumption
to power and your promise for renewal and change.
You
campaigned not only on a promise to fight corruption, but also to uphold human
rights and the rule of law. Your appointment of former Commission on Human
Rights Chair Leila de Lima as Secretary of Justice sent a strong signal to the
country that your officials would help fulfill the promise you made in a number
of your speeches: that you will put closure to human rights killings and hold the
murderers accountable. In a speech on the 62nd anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December last year, you recalled how your
own family had been victims of the human rights violations at the hands of a repressive
government, along with other Filipinos.
But those
of us who have championed the cause of slain journalists are alarmed; there are
today more assassins and masterminds who have so far escaped punishment than
the few who have been tried and convicted. For so long as this impunity reigns,
all Filipinos, not only journalists and media workers, but ordinary citizens as
well, will continue to be at risk.
A
number of these killings involve local government officials and officers of the
Philippine National Police. We are anxious because you have not taken any significant
action to show political will to put an end to impunity and to launch the presidential
initiatives needed to begin the process of change.
We
realize that the barriers to justice may be so deeply embedded in the very
system of governance, including the courts. We know that court supervision is
beyond executive prerogative. But the power and capability of the president
resonates in different ways and we still believe that in our system, executive
action can have a positive impact on the conduct of the judicial system, as it
does on the legislature.
The
Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, Inc. (FFFJ), a national network of press
oriented organizations, is calling for concrete action at this time. We realize
that there are many other urgent problems that call for your attention. But you
were elected because the people were hungry for change, and you thwart that
belief in the possibility of change at the risk of the people’s loss of faith
in the capacity of the system to deliver justice.
The
killing of journalists is part of the culture of impunity, and no real and
lasting reform is possible in such a context. While there are other victims, journalist
victims stand out because they make news. However, the gains made to stop
journalist killings will not protect journalists alone, but will effectively redound
to the greater public safety of all citizens.
On July 9, 2010, or only a week after Your
Excellency assumed the Presidency, broadcaster Miguel Belen of Camarines Sur
was shot, and died 22 days later, on July 31. Six months later, on January 24, 2011,
Gerardo Ortega was gunned down in Puerto Princesa, Palawanwhile in a used clothing
store. It has since been established
that both killings were work-related.
A third
killing, that of Malabon broadcaster Len Flores Sumera, occurred on March 24, 2011exactly two months after the Ortega killing. It was six years to the day since the killing of Marlene Esperat in TacurongCity, Sultan Kudarat province. Although
her relatives and colleagues say that she was probably killed because of a land
dispute, Sumera’s murder could still be work- related as she had included this issue in her radio program.
Three
other journalists were killed between July 3, 2010—two days after Your Excellency
assumed the Presidency—and January 31, 2011. While probably not work-related,
these killings are part of the same culture of impunity that has allowed to go
unpunished the murder not only of journalists but also that of political
activists, human rights workers, members of the clergy, lawyers and even
progressive local officials.
Whether
or not the killings of these journalists were work-related, their murders and
that of their colleagues as well as fellow citizens are sorry indicators of the
continuing erosion of the rule of law. Because they are among the dozens of
murders of journalists and other citizens that have not been resolved, or the
cases of which are proceeding in fits and starts in the judicial system, they
also encourage further killings.
The
most high-profile case of all, that of the 58 men and women killed on November 23, 2009in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province, belongs in the latter category. Fifteen
months since the Massacre, in which 32 journalists and media workers were
killed together with 26 others, the cases against the alleged masterminds and
killers have hardly moved. Even more dangerously, however, these killings enfeeble
the Philippine state, demonstrating that it cannot enforce its own laws, and
protect its own citizens within its own territory.
More
immediately, the failure to prosecute the killers of journalists as well as
those of political activists and the masterminds behind these crimes is sending
the dangerous signal that, as in the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,
the killings can continue during your watch without the perpetrators being
punished. That failure will confirm that impunity will continue to reign, and
those with the means will not stop the use of violence against those they wish
to silence.
Mr.
President, what is needed is concrete action that will turn the page in the
public mind: action that will send a signal that the executive will do all that
is necessary and within its power to counter impunity.
In a
meeting on August 8, 2010, the FFFJ and the National Union of Journalists of
the Philippines discussed their concerns with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima,
Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office
and Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. Among other initiatives, we
recommended 1) the strengthening of the Witness Protection Program; and 2) the
formation of Multi-Sectoral Quick Response Teams which will combine both
investigative, forensic and other police actions on the killing of journalists.
We also asked for steps that would accelerate the pace of the Ampatuan Massacre
trial, and, for long-term reform, a review of the rules of court to diminish
the possibility of abuse and manipulation.
We
understand that it has been less than a year since that meeting. But we are
alarmed by the unabated killing of journalists and political activists, and the
continuing human rights violations which undermine Philippine democracy more
than any rebellion. We reiterate the need for your administration to act now to
prevent the further deterioration and the recurrence of more killings – if only
to retain the public’s confidence in the promise of reform.
We are
joined in this call by other media organizations which see the weakness of the
judicial system as central to the dismantling of the culture of impunity. We
know that the president is confronted daily by many challenges. We are aware
that you have inherited the fallout from the previous administration’s neglect
and indifference, from nine years under your predecessor’s watch when the number
of work-related killing of journalists and media workers killed rose to 117.
As we pause
from daily routine in this period of spiritual contemplation and renewal, we ask
once again that you draw strength from our advocacy to end the impunity that has
punished the Filipino people for so long.
Signed by:
Freedom Fund for Filipino
Journalists
Selected faculty members of the University
of the Philippines College of Mass Communication
Business World
