PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s vicious threats against two news organizations last week was an attack on us all.
In an expletive-laced speech, Duterte singled out two media organizations, the Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN, for being “full of s—” in putting out “slanted” reports against him.
The President then threatened to humiliate journalists critical of his administration by revealing details of their personal lives, including their children, using publicly-funded PTV-4.
“The media are going too far. They have made it ugly. If that’s the case, I have a government station here, PTV 4. I can attack them every day, and make a story about the lives of their children,” the President said.
With all due respect, it appears that it is the President who has gone too far.
In the last 10 months, we have grown accustomed to his abusive language and bluster, but by threatening to use state resources—PTV-4, specifically—to go after journalists and their families, the President has stepped over the line.
In a statement released March 30, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippine told Duterte his rant against the media was “a brazen abuse” of his immense power as chief executive of the land and showed how little appreciation he had for democracy and governance.
“It is a mindset of the petty tyrant who mistakenly believes public office is an entitlement that allows you to flaunt the laws of the land that both grant you power and ensure the checks that prevent you from abusing that power,” the NUJP added.
The NUJP assured Duterte that his curses and threats “cannot and will not prevent” Filipino journalists from going about fulfilling their duty of informing the people of what is happening in the country, regardless of whether or not the President agrees with the reportage.
The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility weighed in as well, calling the President’s allegations against the media as “verbal abuse—the cheapest form of harassment and intimidation that has brought the highest office to a historic low.”
“The virulence and viciousness of his language are an abuse of power, a stain on the freedom of our public forum. The media are doing their institutional duty—to reveal the truth in the public interest. The practice is protected by constitutional rights and held responsible under the law for any proven wrongdoing,” added CMFR.
We do not always agree with our colleagues in our approach toward the news, but on this issue we feel compelled to close ranks.