Comelec to meet with media orgs regarding new campaign rules

source: www.gmanetwork.com

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will meet with media organizations on January 31 to discuss the much contested campaign rules that are seen to have an adverse effect on media coverage of the May automated elections.

“We agreed that we’re going to set a public hearing on January 31, Thursday. So maririnig na namin lahat,” Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said on Friday.

Media organizations have contested Comelec’s new rules on election campaign, particularly the right to reply rule and the airtime limit.

Under the right to reply, candidates and political parties have the right to respond to accusations against them that are aired or printed in the media, with the same space or time.

Meanwhile, the Comelec has cut the airtime limit to an aggregate basis instead of a “per station basis,” which means the airtime is counted “whether appearing on national, regional, or local, free or cable television.”

Brillantes, however, noted that they are not hearing any complaints from the candidates.

“Ang general statement ko, lahat ng reactions [are] coming from media. Wala akong naririnig masyado sa kandidato. And yet, all of these rules are directed to the candidates. Hindi ‘yung media ang kalaban namin dito,” he said.

Both GMA Network Inc.and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), in separate motions, have contested the rules. KBP, for one, said the right to reply “is unconstitutional as it impinges on the editorial prerogative of the media.”

But Brillantes maintained that imposing a right to reply rule is in accordance with Comelec’s mandate in the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

He cited Article IX-C, Section 4, which states that the Comelec may “supervise or regulate” the media during the elections to “ensure equal opportunity, and equal rates therefor, for public information campaigns and forums among candidates in connection with the objective of holding free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.”

“Pero sa batas, pag eleksyon, specific sa Constitution ‘yan – right of reply, authority ng commission ‘yun. Article 9-C of the Constitution specifically says that Comelec can impose a right to reply,” Brillantes said in an interview.

The poll chief added in his Twitter account that to say that the right to reply is unconstitutional “is akin to saying that the Constitution is unconstitutional – which is absurd.”

“The right to reply provision should not be feared by those are are already practicing balanced reporting,” Brillantes tweeted.

Brillantes maintained that they would rather choose public interest over the media entities’ business stake during the elections – regarded as earnings season for major networks due to paid campaign advertisements.

“At times, medyo matatamaan ang media. Malulugi. Ibang usapan ‘yan. We will never consider business interests against public interest. There’s no way that we can balance business interest and public interest. We cannot sacrifice public interest,” he said.

Brillantes vowed that they would go into the specifics of the new rules, particularly the right to reply. “We might go down to the clarificatory issues  like, kailan, how do you exercise it? What is the procedure? Hindi naman maski sino pwede mag-demand. We just have to screen it.”

He noted though that the Comelec would insist on the limited airtime and the right to reply. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab/KBK, GMA News