Category: Media

A Double Standard of Justice: The Gerry Ortega case

Published by Ellen on March 30, 2012

By Inday Espina-Varona

http://indayvarona.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/a-double-standard-of-justice/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/blogs/insights/03/30/12/double-standard-justice-gerry-ortega-case

Justice for Gerry Ortega — A call for Justice

Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa issued a call today, on the eve of Earth Day, to care more for Mother Nature. Meanwhile, Malacanang spits on the soul of a fallen environmental warrior. Here’s why:

A couple of months back, the nation was glued to the spectacle of government operatives barring former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from leaving the country. The incident happened in the absence of any hold order on the much-maligned former Chief Executive. There was no hold order because no court had yet issued an arrest warrant for her. In fact, no case against Mrs. Arroyo had even reached the courts yet. What the government had was a watchlist order (WLO) on President Benigno Aquino’s predecessor. This watchlist order was the subject of a Supreme Court temporary restraining order (TRO) — a TRO that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima refused to implement.

I will not discuss the merits of the TRO or the WLO — the latter the same weapon Mrs. Arroyo had wielded against her political opposition. The TRO later became part of the Aquino administration’s impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona. Mrs. Arroyo has since been arraigned and remains in hospital arrest due to an ailment affecting the spine. The Chief Justice is still battling it out in his impeachment trial.

An appeal for our media colleagues battered by typhoon ‘Sendong’

Published by Ellen on December 22, 2011

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) appeals to colleagues and the public to extend help to media workers including NUJP members who…

Blogging is not journalism

Published by Ellen on December 11, 2011

Crystal Cox 2 — The blogger whom the Oregon court said is not a journalist

Last week, a federal judge in Oregon ruled that a Montana blogger is not eligible for the legal protections afforded to journalists ordering her to pay the lawyer who sued her for defamation $2.5 million.

An Associated Press report said “Crystal L. Cox, a blogger from Eureka, Mont., was sued for defamation by attorney Kevin Padrick when she posted online that he was a thug and a thief during the handling of bankruptcy proceedings by him and Obsidian Finance Group LLC.

“U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez found last week that as a blogger, Cox was not a journalist and cannot claim the protections afforded to mainstream reporters and news outlets.”

Although, the ruling is not expected to really tame the free-wheeling environment of digital media which includes blogs (short for “web log”, online sites usually set up by individuals containing their articles which could cover any topic and form), it would be a useful distinction for new media users.

According to news reports, Cox styles herself as an “investigative blogger.” She has created numerous websites with names like “obsidianfinancesucks.com,” “bankruptcytrusteefraud.com,” and “oregonshyster.com,” in which she accused Padrick and Obsidian of misconduct in their handling of a bankruptcy case.

Freeze order on Ampatuan assets expires

Published by Ellen on December 2, 2011

Joint statement of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists Inc. and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on the Expiry of the Freeze Order on the Assets of the Ampatuans
2 December 2011

Today, December 2, 2011, the six-month freeze order the Court of Appeals issued – on petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) – on the 597 bank accounts, 142 firearms, 132 motor vehicles, and 113 houses and lots in the names of 27 members of the Ampatuan clan and their associates expired.

We have also learned that it was only yesterday, December 1, when the AMLC filed through the Office of the Solicitor General, a petition for civil forfeiture with a prayer for a new freeze order with the Manila regional trial court. As of the close of office hours, we have not received confirmation from the OSG, the AMLC, or the trial court if the freeze order, or provisional asset protection order (PAPO), had been issued.

We view with great alarm the unwarranted delay and apparent lack of attention and negligence that the AMLC and the OSG had accorded this case.

Dennis Garcia’s art exhibit and Max Soliven’s biography

Published by Ellen on November 1, 2011

Just perfect after the long holidays are two events next week: Rakenrol, the first art exhibit of Dennis Garcia and the launching of the book “Maximo V. Soliven: The Man and the Journalist” by Nelson Navarro.

Rakenrol will be open on November 8 at 6 p.m and will run until Nov. 22 at the Galerie One Workshop, Suite 324, LRI Design Plaza, Nicanor Garcia St., Bel Air II, Makati City.

Rakenrol will showcase another facet of the genius that is Dennis Garcia.

We all know Dennis as the musician. He was part of the trailblazing Pinoy pop-rock band of the 70’s -“Hotdog”- that delighted us with such hits “Bongga Ka ’Day”, “Annie Batungbakal” and the iconic,” Manila, Manila”.

Dennis went into advertising after Hotdog members went their separate ways. He did stints in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur,Singapore, Jakarta and Guam. Every now and then Hotdog members would get together for SRO reunion concerts in Manila.

Dennis is active in New Media, sharing gems for the mind with Facebook friends. He has a blog “Chubibo” where political irreverence has become an art. He writes a Friday column in the country’s number one tabloid, Abante.

Rakenrol, Dennis wrote, is part of his bucket list.

Who is a journalist?

Published by Ellen on October 2, 2011

massacre photo with backhoe — The Maguindanao massacre

After eight annual self-examinations, media practitioners, meeting in Cebu’s Marco Polo Hotel last weekend, still had not found the answer to the question, “Who is a journalist?”

The question was crucial because the theme of MediaNation 8 was the Philippines being “The Most Dangerous Place for Journalists.”

Actually, that notorious title which the country achieved after the Nov 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre where 32 of the 58 killed were members of media. Other countries like Mexico, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, have overtaken us in that notoriety but it doesn’t mean the killing of journalists here has stopped. Under the 16-month old government of President Benigno Aquino III, six journalists have already been killed, according to the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines.

One unwarranted death is too many.

Chit Estella Awards for Journalism: continuing her advocacy for good journalism

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2011

Last Tuesday, June 21, on the 40th day of the death Chit Estella-Simbulan, journalist and teacher, her family and friends brought her ashes to her earthly resting place at the San Agustin church columbarium in Intramuros after a mass officiated by Fr. Joe Dizon and Fr. Robert Reyes.

At the dinner that followed the interment, we launched “The Chit Estella Awards for Journalism.”
The idea of the awards came about in a brainstorming session with Chit’s husband, Roland, and her father in-law, Dante, about two weeks after she passed away.

Chit died early evening of May 13 when the taxi she was riding in was rammed by a Universal Guiding Star bus she was in near on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, near the Ayala Technohub where she was supposed to have dinner with some of her high school (St. Joseph College) classmates.

Chit, aside from fighting for genuine democracy for the Filipino people which includes freedom of the press, has always stood for good journalism. And that means excellent writing.

My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

Published by Ellen on June 23, 2011

From the Washington Post Ombudsman on why they didn’t use Vargas’ confession story:http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-did-the-post-deport-jose-antonio-vargass-story/2011/06/24/AGdXKdjH_story.html (Jose Antonio Vargas is a former reporter for The Washington Post and…

Ingat sa Facebook at Twitter

Published by Ellen on June 19, 2011

Ang mga disgrasya na nadudulot ng “Facebook” at “Twitter” ay nagpapa-alala sa atin na ang mga kabutihan na nabibigay nitong mga social networks ay may kaakibat ding panganib.

Maraming kabutihan na nabibigay ang social networks lalo pa sa panahon ngayon na maraming pamilya na magkakalayo.

Ordinary na ngayon sa bawat pamilya na may mienbro na nasa abroad at sa pamamagitan ng Facebook at Twitter, naiibsan ang distansya. Sa pamamagitan ng internet, parang hindi rin magkakalayao. Makakapabalitaan araw-araw.

Ngunit dahil sa demokrasya sa mga social networks na ito, madali mawala ang privacy kung hindi marunong mag-ingat o kung mahilig magbibida tungkol sa sarili.

Parang wala na rin ang ‘live coverage’ desisyun ng SC sa Maguindanao masaker trial

Published by Ellen on June 18, 2011

Update:

Malacañang statement:

In keeping with the President’s longstanding position that the cause of justice and sustained reforms in ARMM require live coverage of the Maguindanao Massacre Trial, Secretary Herminio Coloma of the PCOO has instructed NBN4 to undertake a gavel-to-gavel coverage of the trial.