KATRIBU honors Filipino media practitioners

BAGUIO CITY (May 3, 2010) – KATRIBU Partylist joins the nation and the world in hailing the media community for becoming the voice of the downtrodden, the voiceless and the undaunted at a time when our other freedoms are being sacrificed in the name of “praise releases” and “achievements” of a regime seeking recognition.

Let us commemorate World Press Freedom Day and praise the Filipino media community for keeping the torch alive for press freedom in the face of the continuing threats to life and limb. In the Philippines, media is free only because Filipino journalists have chosen to be free.

KATRIBU Partylist honors the Filipino media community for their courage in upholding press freedom and committing to continue the fight for a free press, free expression and free assembly. Also, Partylist honors the families of the media practitioners for carrying the torch for freedom of their loved ones who have died in the name of free expression and fair play.

Furthermore, KATRIBU Partylist holds the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo responsible for neglecting the plight of the media practitioners, disregarding their cries for safety and for not stopping the killings of media people. It is during the GMA administration that media killings rose, 100 media practioners murdered including the infamous Maguindanao massacre wherein 32 journalists who came to cover the filing of candidacy of a rival of the Ampatuans were massacred. And most of the perpetrators are yet to be brought to justice.

KATRIBU partylist challenges the media to uphold professionalism and refrain from negative practices like “envelopmental” journalism. Furthermore, KATRIBU Partylist is also calling on the media outfits, the owners and the government to consider increasing the salaries and benefits of media practitioners so that the former could concentrate on their mandate to report the truth instead of spinning their stories to benefit entities like politicans and corporations who “employ” media men as public relations officers.

Lastly, KATRIBU Partylist calls on the media community to be vigilant in the upcoming national elections. It is during these times, where the Filipino people are highly interested and politicized, that media should do its job of reporting the true situation. # www.katribu.org

Reference

Beverly Longid
President
KATRIBU Partylist
Mobile No. 09209191820