source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
MANILA
- A Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution that requires journalists to
secure "prior approval" before candidates can be interviewed by
broadcasters has come under fire.
The
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), in a press statement
Friday, called Resolution No. 9615 absurd.
"The
resolution is not only absurd it is downright unconstitutional since it
constitutes prior restraint," the NUJP said.
The
January 15 resolution states that "To determine whether the appearance or
guesting in a program is bona fide, the broadcast stations or entities must
show that: (1) prior approval of the Commission was secured."
NUJP
secretary-general Rowena Paraan said Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes' later
statement that they only meant "prior notice" made things worse.
"This
practically precludes impromptu interviews, which are invariably better at
drawing out as much of the truth from interviewees than staged or pre-arranged
interviews, and could also have dire consequences in emergency situations, such
as natural disasters, when officials, who may also happen to be candidates,
need to get information out as quickly as possible," Paraan said.
"To
be able to comply with this ridiculous edict, broadcast networks and their news
staff will need to be fortunetellers who should be able to predict where and
when a candidate will be at any future moment," she added.
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