THE government has played down the concerns raised by international organizations over violations of press freedom and labor rights in the country.
In an online news briefing, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque called the inclusion of President Duterte on the 2021 list of “press freedom predators” of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as “bereft of merit.”
He noted no less than the International Criminal Court prosecutor cited media reports, which were “critical of the government” in seeking to investigate the alleged state-perpetrated killings in the country.
“So that proves that freedom of the press is alive and well in the Philippines. The President has not filed a single libel case against or jailed any reporter,” Roque said.
The RSF noted how Duterte singled out local media firms such as the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI), ABS-CBN Corp., and Rappler for reports on the President’s “authoritarian excesses.”
Under the current administration, PDI faced tax evasion allegations, while Rappler is being accused of violating foreign-equity restrictions.
Also during President Duterte’s term, ABS-CBN lost is broadcast franchise.
Roque said the President had no hand in the case against Rappler, which was initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
As for ABS-CBN, he said it was the House of Representatives which decided not to renew its broadcast franchise.
“So there is no bases in calling the President a media predator,” Roque said.
Anti-labor
The country was also tagged by the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) as one of the top 10 worst countries for workers due to the arrest of at least 7 labor leaders and unionists.
The Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) and the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), both local affiliates of the ITUC, called on the government to stop the said anti-labor measures.
Sentro demanded an immediate end to the “assault on trade unionism” and the investigation of arrests and deaths of labor unionists.
KMU said the situation is worsened by the government’s red-tagging of members of organized labor as well as the continuation of extra-judicial killings.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) questioned the basis of ITUC on its report, which it claimed was “based on the mere reports of violence and murder, arbitrary arrests and union busting.”
“These reports are not without action. Appropriate investigation and resolution were initiated and continuously pursued,” Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III told BusinessMirror in a SMS.
“Importantly, the reported violence and murder, arbitrary arrests and union busting are isolated cases. This is not the state of affairs of labor and employment in the country given the many reforms implemented under the administration,” he added.