Media groups vow to keep close eye on incoming Duterte administration

A group of media practitioners on Wednesday has vowed to report on and scrutinize the actions of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte despite the incoming leader's pronouncement that he will shun interviews as well as his criticism of corruption in the profession.

A day before Duterte's inauguration, a pooled editorial reminding the incoming president and the public of importance of media in a democracy was published on Wednesday by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Star, the Journal, the Philippine Press Institute and some of its member-publications, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation (NDBC), Mindanao Cross, Mindanao Gold Star Daily, Sun.Star-Cagayan de Oro, Bicol Today, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Kodao Productions, Bulatlat, Eastern Vista, among others outlets.

"As 'the people's private eye in the public arena,' the news media serve as custodian and gatekeeper of some of these rights," said the editorial, titled "The Prez and the Press."

"It’s a task that must be accomplished, and the President-elect’s predecessors as well as the nation's journey from democracy to dictatorship and back illustrate why and how we must inquire into, inveigh against, and investigate questionable public officials and agencies, on the citizens’ behalf," it added.

As president, Duterte acts as chief executive, fount of foreign policy, manager of the national household, guardian of peace and order, commander of the uniformed services, and arbiter of policy conflicts, the editorial noted.

He is also mandated by law to lead the nation and to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.

For these reasons, the media practitioners said Duterte must be covered.

"[W]e must at all times cover him, his actions, and his statements. In truth, the news media must report more — and better — about him, his policies and his actions, with our reports guided by the best standards of accuracy, fairness and context," the editorial said.

Duterte has said he will not engage with the media during his six-year term, accusing reporters of twisting his statements that could be used to attack him.

His aides said Duterte instead will course his messages through state-run PTV-4 or his spokesperson.

Media killings

The editorial also called out Duterte anew for his controversial stand on media killings.

By saying that a corrupt journalist who fell to an assassin's bullet asked for it, the editorial said Duterte mocked the memory of at least 172 journalists killed in the line of duty since democracy was restored in 1986.

"The last report filed by a majority of those slain journalists precisely exposed crime and corruption, the same social ills that he says he wants to curb," it said.

It noted that no mastermind in any of the media killings has ever been arrested, prosecuted and convicted.

Journalists also wondered if Duterte's "volcanic language" has "dampened, indeed chilled, the daily reportage, so that journalists with valid, if testy, questions are seemingly forced to eat expletives by way of a response."

In addressing corruption in the industry, the editorial noted Duterte could stop the government's own media agents, as well as politicians and corporate publicists "who offer more than stories to get favorable coverage or to spike bad news."

"The institutional capture of the news media by politicians has begun in some parts of the country. Local politicians and their families have acquired ownership and control of print and broadcast media agencies, and certain local government units have bought block-time segments using public funds," the opinion said.

"The corruption of the news media thus also involves partisan political interests driving editorial processes — as the President-elect knows full well."

More transparency

Yet for all their supposed differences, the editorial noted that journalists and Duterte agree on making the inner workings of government more transparent.

"The issuance of an FOI (Freedom of Information) executive order on Day One of his presidency should prevent the 17th Congress from tarrying in its task," it said.

In the end, the editorial wished the incoming Duterte administration success "in all its endeavors."

"As journalists and as citizens, we commit not only to do journalism right and better, but also to uphold and defend free speech, free press, free expression, and the people's right to know," it said. --Virgil Lopez/JST, GMA News