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Militant group slammed PNP chief’s threat on media
“He is acting like a national
editor-in-chief of a totalitarian state- Critics

The fisherfolk activist group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Sunday denounced PNP Director General Arturo Lomibao for threatening all media organizations of possible takeover if they would not follow standards set by the government during the state of national emergency.

In a press statement, Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said the PNP Chief was taking an illegal and unconstitutional order and could be held liable for violating the guarantees on press freedom and free speech as set by the 1987 Constitution.

“ Instead of making threats and direct assaults to the constitutional rights of the press to practice truth and fearless reportage of events and opinions, we ask Lomibao to respect the rights of the people and the media to free speech and free press,” Hicap said.

“The Government Order No.5 and Proclamation 1017 make Gen. Lomibao like a political monster in the midst of escalating political repression and wholesale massacre of civil liberties. He is acting like a national editor-in-chief of a totalitarian state ruled by a corrupt and brutal regime of President Arroyo,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya said the standards set by Proclamation 1017 and GO No.15 were standards set by a regime of greed, betrayal and deception. The group said Malacañang and the police have no business in curtailing press freedom at any given time and whatever circumstances.

“ What standards Director Lomibao is talking? The standards for state terrorism, political repression and left and right suppression of truth and mass arrests of people seeking for truth and justice? These blasphemous edicts engineered by Malacañang should be challenged in any appropriate court, the court of public opinion and the parliament of the streets,” the group said.

The militant group urged all media organizations to band together and defy the national and gross curtailment of press freedom and free speech imposed by Malacañang and the pro-Arroyo generals in the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“ The media should band together and fight back to preserve the gains of press freedom. We cannot allow the dark forces of evil and state terrorism to push their sinister agenda at the expense of civil liberties and press freedom,” Pamalakaya said.

GO No.5 and Proclamation 1017 give the police and military powers to carry out necessary and appropriate actions and measures to suppress and prevent acts of terrorism and lawless violence. The orders said violations of standards will be left to the judgment of the PNP and other agencies empowered to implement the orders.

They include alleged actions, which are detrimental to the state by obstructing governance, including hindering growth of the economy and sabotaging the people’s confidence on the president.

“ Who gave Mrs. Arroyo the idea that the police has the intellectual capacity and political and moral rights to judge what is good and what is bad for the country, especially concerning the practice of media and free press? She is moving heaven and earth for the sake of her political survival,” Pamalakaya said.. #

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 23:54 | link | comments |

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