by Evangeline de vera
Malaya
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday said only President Arroyo could make him withdraw an advisory he issued last week in which he told media practitioners not to interfere in legitimate police and military operations on the pain of sanctions.
He dismissed the call of a New York-based media group Committee to Protect Journalists to withdraw his advisory on the ground that it poses a threat to press freedom and democracy.
He said he takes orders only from the President, and the foreign media group can “go jump in the lake.”
“Only narrow-minded people will think like that, that includes the foreign media. Why are we so happy that a foreign group is meddling with us? These are like the parachute journalists who come here for two days and then go back experts about the Philippines,” he said.
“I will not withdraw that, only the President can tell me to withdraw that. That was issued in good faith that was preceded by the words ‘please be reminded,’” he said.
In the one-page advisory he issued Friday, Gonzalez said: “Please be reminded that your respective companies, networks or organizations may incur criminal liabilities under the law, if anyone of your field reporters, news gatherers, photographers, cameramen and other media practitioners will disobey lawful orders from duly authorized government officers and personnel during emergencies which may lead to collateral damage to properties and civilian casualties in case of authorized police or military operations.”
The advisory was issued more than a month after the Manila Peninsula hotel standoff led by Oakwood mutiny leader Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
About 50 media men covering the incident, their hands tied with plastic thongs, were hauled to the Metro Manila police headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig after Trillanes and his group surrendered to police authorities.
Gonzalez has said his “reminder” was not meant to send a chilling effect to the media. On Saturday, he said the advisory was prompted by an intelligence report of a new plot against the Arroyo administration.
PNP chief Avelino Razon Jr. said Gonzalez’ advisory is meant to preserve life and property and not to suppress press freedom.
“We don’t want to be responsible for media deaths,” Razon also said.
Cerge Remonde, chief of the Presidential Management Staff and former head of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, said he was wiling to arrange a dialogue between the DOJ and the media to clear any possible misunderstanding.
But he said he was leaving the matter to the justice department in the meantime.
Government officials met with representatives of media organizations in the aftermath of the Peninsula standoff, but Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno only threatened media with arrest if found “obstructing justice.”
Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the advisory should be viewed from the perspective that “the rights of every Filipino must be respected, including media which has a right to press freedom and pursue diligently their profession; the public which has the right to be protected by the state in maintaining peace and order; and the police and military which has the right to pursue their job of protecting and ensuring the safety and welfare of the people.
“The manner of implementation to maintain these rights somehow are open for the discussions and interpretations which need thorough review by all stakeholders in order to prevent misunderstandings.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said the advisory was simply a reminder.
“May chilling effect sa media? Bakit? Ina-advise-an lang naman kayo na huwag kayong makialam doon sa barilan. Why should you be worried about it?” he said.
He added that being an “advice,” the media could either accept or reject it.
Apostol said he was not aware if Gonzalez consulted the President before issuing the advisory, but he said there was no discussion with the Cabinet on the issuance. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Raymond Africa
The man has gone mad — he’s afflicted with the Mugabe disease.
Ha!Ha!Ha! With a madman siRaulo Gonzalez, who needs destabilizer?
sabi ni siraulo “they can go jump in the lake?: well since the Death of Justice secretary is what he is..go to hill nalang siya..doon sa mga hills sa Iloilo at hilong hilong
na.
..paano ba nagiging ulol ang isang aso? brain transplant?
Correction: Raul Gunggongzalez told the media to jump in the river not lake. Mas malaki yata ang lake at kasya sa napakaraming mga media/journalists. Ang river lang yata para sa mga taga-Malacanang…Pasig River.
siRaulo and Noted Cuneta delivered the Hello Garci presidency to Gloria Arroyo. She won’t even make pitik to his kabuwangan. Aside from Asspweron, siRaulo is the one person that the Garci woman is so scared of. E kung kumanta ang huklubang ‘yan, di tapos na ang maliligayang araw sa EK!
No breeding whatsoever ! If bastos had a face, it would be siRAULo ! I hope his kidney fails him soon !
All the more I am convinced that the reason siRAULo, of course including Gloria, Esperon & the PNP head is pissed off at media is because they wanted to kill Sen Trillanes et al in the Pen siege but couldn’t becauase media was there all throughout. Their evil plans were thwarted by media. That is how bad Gloria & her gangsters are !
Good to know that according to the latest SWS survey 44% believe that Gloria is lying to her people. Haaahhhh, no one believes La Tonta !
Pinag tataka ko lang kung bakit si Sir SIRAULO Gungungzales ang nag iingay tungkol sa Coup or Destablization sa January 22. Dapat ang Defense Dept. or ang Military ang nag sasabi nito ah. Madaldal talaga itong matandang ulyann. Kung sino talaga ang masama ay matagal MAMATAY eh. Ilang beses na na operahan hindi pa matuluyan itong hinayupak na Gago.
Dapat nagpapahinga na yang si Gonzales at pati na din si Apostol. Amoy lupa na ang mga iyan. Kung sabagay pati retired General at may cancer pa ay ina-appoint pa. Lahat ng ito ay dahil sa gusto nilang mapagtakpan ang kalokohan nila. Di lang si Glorya, lahat na siguro ng kabinete at pamilya niya.
May nabasa ako na kung sakaling nagwagi sila Trillanes at Lim sa ginawa nila ay magiging isang Burma ang ating Bansa. TALAGA, sa dinami-dami ng mga Politician at mga General na mga corrupt at mga gago. KAilangan talagang walisin ang ating Gobyerno at kung hindi man ganito pa din ang mangyayari sa ating BAyan. Kagaya ng isang cancer, tanggalin mo man pero kung may naiwan ay wala din. Toxic talaga!!!!
ang ginagawa nila’y to preserve their positions.WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE.talagang ang kailangan natin ay isang POWERFUL MAGIC WALIS!!
Pagbabatiin daw ng EK, (read Gloria) ang media at si siRaulo Gonzalez.
Iyan lang ba ang gagawin nila matapos na bastusin ng madmen na ito ang media, both local and overseas?! Halata naman na si Gloria ang may utos na ilabas ang media advisory, nagmamalinis lang nang mapalpak!
foreign…not overseas.
Here’s what I want to tell Raul Gunggungzalez: GO JUMP IN HELL !
Afflicted na gid sang “Mad Cow’s Disease Syndrom” si Tandang Gonz!
“Hoy, manahimik ka na Toto, wala na sing nagapati sa imo! Isara mo na ‘yang bunganga mo at aminin mo ng mga matatapang lang kayo sa pa-warning-warning pero nagtatago sa likod ng saya ng peke n’yong pangulo!”
Sabad!
Sira din ang ulo ni Gloria Dorobo to not feel embarrassed by this incompetent secretary of injustice of hers. But then, tama nga iyong old adage, “Birds of the same feather, flock together!”
Sarap ihilira ang mga ungas at pagbabarilin! Tabi-tabi sa mga taga-Panay. Bakit naghilira ang mga siraulo sa island na iyan gaya nitong huklubang gunggonzales na ito at iyong Brenda Santiago? Ipinapahiya nila ang mga kababayan nila sa totoo lang!
Tignan ninyo naman nang humarap sa mga royalties ng Europe. Kundi mukhang naka-bathrobe, bumili ng damit sa ukay-ukay! Pero milyon daw ang binigay ni Gloria Dorobo diyan para tumulong na mangurakot!
hindi ba “insanity” is a good defense in a criminal case? Growing up in San Jose, Antique..I remember three crazy men..si Julio Wing ay talagang sira ang ulo and people were really mean to him…si Takio na ang sabi ng mga tao ay naging loco kasi he was accused of burning a warehouse to get the insurance money..and he was able to get out of it..kasi sira daw ang ulo…si Beato na retired navy man sa Ca. na nasira daw ang ulo kaya napauwi sa Pilipinas…pero itong dalawa ay kulang ang turnillo…kawawa naman!
I still think Raul Gonzales knows his turf. No media or even the foreign ones can touch his hair. The best thing the media could possibly do is to boycott anything Raul. But they make money out of their scoops on him.
Valdemar, alam mo ba ang sabi ni Gungungzalez? “GMA is my boss not the foreign media”.
Gonzalez : Go jump in the river…
Miriam : I am foaming in the mouth, I am ballistic…
Esperon : NPA is diminished but we need six more battalions…
Whatever are we going to do? Our leaders are out of their minds?
Can we return Gonzales to the manufacturer due to factory defect?
Chabeli: “Good to know that according to the latest SWS survey 44% believe that Gloria is lying to her people.” Really? Means there’s an improvement? Last time (I think in 2005?), SWS reported that 59% believed Gloria cheated, and 85% wanted her impeached.
Can we return Gonzales to the manufacturer due to factory defect?
***************
Tatanggapin ang utak dahil slightly used pa lang.
Chi,
Nag-enjoy kayo sa inyong pakikipag-patintero kay Goonzales ah! Mukha uli atang na askimet ang aking mensahe kahapon at kagabi kaya ngayon lang uli ako naka-IN.
Well, agree ako na dapat si Goonzales ang tumalon sa river…ay oo nga pala sa Pasig para silang lahat na nasa enchanted kingdom eh sama-sama ng di na lumitaw pa.
Hi Balweg,
In ka na naman, O welcome uli. 🙂
Declared persona non grata by the Phil. Press Photography (PPP), siRaulo should be boycotted by the rest of the media members. Magaling ito. Kung pati ang kanyang mga press releases will not find space on air and print media ay mamatay na ang matandang ‘yan sa kunsumisyon.
Isnabin ng media, huwag daluhan ang mga press conferences, ‘yan ang gamot kay siRaulo!
Hawaiianguy, walang pakialam si Demonya kahit anong survey at kahit anong baba. She and her spokespersons continue to say: “She’s not after popularity but continues to perform her job as President.” Siya na ang pinakamasama, pinakamandaraya, pinakasinungaling, pinakamaliit, pinakapangit at pinakapekeng Pangulo ng bansang Pilipinas.
Who is this Anthony Taberna of ABS-CBN? This young man from Nueva Ecija impressed me. Ang galing! His comments apparently are mostly in favor of opposition. He even calls Erap as Mr. President. Anyone who knows this guy could share us a thing or two about his background. I’m told he started as an anchor of DZMM. Thanks.
Juggernaut, I like your comments on siRAULo [January 15th, 2008 at 9:21 am]:
Can we return Gonzales to the manufacturer due to factory defect?
But our lakes and rivers are so polluted the media will just walk on them or even build their houses on. Hirap nga si MMDA magtanggal ng mga squatters doon.
I was watching CNN News reporting on the Kenya chaotic situation and one female reporter got hit at the back by a blank bullet fired by the cops. That’s the hazard of being a journalist. But who can stop these journalists from doing their job? Now let’s turn to that Manila Pen incident. Risk na ng mga reporters kung may mangyari sa kanila at walang karapatan ang PNP o sino man lalo na itong si Gunggongzalez na pigilin ang mga journalists. That’s part of the job…wika nga.
Gunggongsalez do not like the media coverage of military operations kasi may “milagro” silang gagawin each time they have an “operation”. May biglang mamamatay o mahuhuli and they will just say it was an “attempt” to escape o kaya naman “he tried to fire at us”. In the Manila Pen incident, kung wala yung mga reporters doon, pirapiraso na lang sila Trilllianes at Lim na lumabas sa hotel. Trillianes and Lim should thank their lucky stars that the reporters were there! You can not trust the military at all, specially those allied with the DOROBO! The chain of command means, follow first before you question and almost always, it is the DOROBO’s order than prevails and that is KILL, or JAIL or ABDUCT! Specialty nila yan! Lalong lalo na yung mga kontra ng paniniwala sa kanila which they have branded as “commie” o “coup plotter”!
Ang mga trouble sa Kenya ay dahil kenya-kenya ang mga tao doon. Maraming tribes kaya laging may tribal wars. Sa Manila Pen, lahat ng reporters at media ay nagkaisa. Hindi sila kenya-kenya.