Category: Media

International non-profit law group warns Sotto bill will kill free speech

Published by Ellen on September 15, 2019

The anti-fake news bill filed by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III violates international law and , if passed, will “effectively silence and prohibit any speech” the government does not like, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law said in its analysis of “Anti-Fake Content Act” filed on July 1, 2019.

In the conclusion of its analysis of the Sotto bill, ICNL said, “This Act enables the Government of the Philippines to effectively silence and prohibit any speech it does not like. In addition to censoring such speech – which is itself an unlawful restriction to the freedom of expression – the Act provides for overly harsh criminal penalties to the creators, authors, producers and publishers of content deemed to be ‘false’ or ‘misleading to the public.’”

“Laws that criminalize ‘fake news’ violate international law protecting the freedom of expression, “ ICNL said.

Declining trust in media and the selling of the President as a brand

Published by Ellen on September 12, 2019

The sharp decline of the public trust in media based on the findings of 2019 Philippine Trust Index survey is not surprising but something to be concerned of.

Media is essential in a democracy. There is no democracy where and when media is not free.

Media strengthens democracy by informing the people of what is happening as truthfully as it can be ascertained. In doing so, the people can hold accountable the officials for all their actions and decisions. Media plays a vital role in making democracy truly a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

Media experts recommend transparency in digital campaign spending for 2022 elections

Published by Ellen on August 11, 2019

By Celine Isabelle Samson,VERA Files

To combat new forms of disinformation and election propaganda seen to have circulated on social media during the May midterm polls, a study by three academics who studied the 2019 midterm Philippine elections suggest transparency in various aspects including finance to lessen disinformation in 2022 elections.

In a study titled “Tracking Digital Disinformation in the 2019 Philippine Midterm Elections” released Friday, Aug. 9, media experts Jonathan Ong from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ross Tapsell of Australia National University and Nicole Curato from the University of Canberra, proposed that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) require candidates to “sign off” on online advertisements about them, and come up with more specific guidelines on campaign expenditure disclosures, specifically for online materials.

Their report, which monitored the digital disinformation that flourished from January 2019 leading up to the May 13, 2019 senatorial polls, saw the rise of underground campaigns – both positive and negative – that fly under the radar of the poll body. This, in the face of larger amounts of campaign funds being funneled into online material.

“The digital campaigners we interviewed declared that they now get a more significant chunk of the campaign war chest, with some campaigns allocating up to fifty percent of their ‘air’ budget to social media,” they said.

Ross Tapsell, senior lecturer at Australia National University, one of the authors of the study “Tracking Digital Disinformationin the 2019 Philippine Midterm Elections” explains their research during the launch Aug.9 at Bay Leaf Hotel in Intramuros, Manila. Beside him is his co-author Jonathan Ong. Photo by Celine Samson.

Kinaray-a writing contest

Published by Ellen on June 13, 2019

For those who have roots in Antique or those from the Visayas who can write in Kinaray-a, this should be of interest to you.

Dungug Kinaray-a Inc. is now accepting entries for this year’s Padya Dungug Kinaray-a.

Kinaray-a is the language spoken mostly in West Visayas. It is the language in the province of Antique.

Dungug Kinaray-a Inc. is a non-profit organization composed of Kinaray-a writers, scholars, and advocates ( I am a member) for the preservation and promotion of the Kinaray-a language and literature.

How intelligent is the government’s intelligence report?

Published by Ellen on June 11, 2019

The arrest of Davao-based journalist Margarita Valle last Sunday which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity puts into a question how intelligent is this so-called intelligence report which is the basis for the actions of government authorities including the country’s chief executive, President Duterte.

Valle, 61, a columnist of online publication Davao Today, was arrested at Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro,Misamis Oriental by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Western Mindanao, while waiting for her flight to Davao City at about 10:30 a.m. She just came from a training workshop with the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines in Cagayan de Oro City.

She was released about 10 p.m. after being held incommunicado. A report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Col. Tom Tuzon, director of the CIDG in the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) admitting that the arrest of Valles was a mistake.

Sagot ko sa sinabi ni Duterte na may kanser ako at nanghihingi ng pera

Published by Ellen on June 8, 2019

SAGOT NI ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS TUNGKOL SA SINABI NI PANGULONG DUTERTE NA SIYA AY MAY KANSER AT NANGHIHINGI SIYA NG PERA

Nagugulantang ako sa mga maling impormasyun na pinagsasabi Pangulong Duterte tungkol sa akin.

Para sa tamang kaalaman ni Duterte ito ang totoo:

1.Wala na akong kanser. Matagal na akong gumaling sa sakit na kanser. Taong 2003 pa.

2.Kahit noong ginagamot ang aking kanser, hindi ako humingi ng pera sa ibang tao. Ang tumulong sa akin ay si Jake Macasaet, ang yumaong publisher ng Ang Pahayagang Malaya, kung saan ako nagtatrabaho noon at hanggang ngayon ay may kolum.

Bakit ginawang problema ang foreign funding?

Published by Ellen on May 5, 2019

Nag-iba ng diskarte ang mga galamay ng Malacañang nang hindi kumagat ang kanilang palpak na “Oust Duterte plot” na may kasama pang katawa-tawa na matrix. Ang pinagdidiskitahan nila ngayon ay ang tulong na bigay ng mga mayayamang bansa o pribadong institusyon sa mga organisasyun sa mga bansa na hindi masyadong mayaman katulad ng Pilipinas.

Pinapalabas nila na masama ang magtanggap ng grants o pondo sa mga organisasyun sa ibang bansa. Nagpu-focus sila sa mga independent media organization katulad ng VERA Files, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, at Rappler. Itong argumento ay mali at panloloko sa mamamayang Pilipino.

Ilan sa mga foreign funders ng VERA Files

Ano ba ang sinasasabi ng ating Saligang Batas tungkol sa media at foreign grants?

Ipe Salvosa and Bobi Tiglao

Published by Ellen on April 28, 2019

As long as we have journalists like Felipe Salvosa II, the likes of Bobi Tiglao don’t matter.

Salvosa provided a much-needed silver lining last week at the time when dark clouds of lies threatened to overwhelm the public pre-occupied with the business of surviving.

Until last week, Salvosa was Manila Times managing editor. He was fired for voicing his reservations about the story his newspaper was putting out.

Salvosa’s tweet that cost him his Manila Times’ job

I’m using the word “fired” because he himself admitted that he was asked to resign by management over his tweet posted early afternoon of April 22 which said: “A diagram is by no means an evidence of ‘destabilization’ or an ‘ouster plot.’ It is a very huge stretch for anyone to accuse PCIJ, Vera Files and Rappler of actively plotting to unseat the President. I know people there and they are not coup plotters.”

A conference on how disinformation erodes democracy

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2019

Almost every day, from my place of work to my residence is almost three-hour energy-sappy travel, one way.

In those three hours, I witness scenes that re-affirm my admiration to the suffering Filipinos — from the kilometer-long queues for a ride to the sardine-like situation in the MRT and many more.

In the three years of the country under Rodrigo Duterte, 27,000 have been reported killed in drug-related incidents, more than 4,000 of them during police operations, most of them small-time drug runners. None of the big-time suppliers have been arrested.

Until last week, when more than 300 Chinese vessels surrounded Philippine –occupied Pag-asa Island, the government didn’t complain about China’s aggressive activities in the disputed areas in South China Sea.

Every day we read about misgovernance, incompetence and mis-use of funds.

Yet, the Filipinos are satisfied with him as leader.