THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday raised concerns over the new media accreditation guidelines issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) that frowns on new journalists who have not enough experience in covering government agencies.
“Although implementation has been pushed back after a meeting with the Malacañang Press Corps Inc., the CHR is hopeful that there will be a more thorough review of the guidelines to ensure that there will be no unintended infringements on press freedom following their implementation,” the agency said in a statement.
With the parameters set by the PCO, such guidelines might pose unintended threats to the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Philippine Constitution and affirmed by various international human rights frameworks, it added.
The new accreditation guidelines require journalists and media outlets to have previous experience in government coverage for at least five years, thereby putting newer and younger reporters at a disadvantage.