Palace says EO 454 not a form of media gag

Malacañang branded opposition claims yesterday that the transfer of supervision of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) back to the Department of Transportation and Communications was a way to gag the media as another case of paranoia and a deliberate distortion of government policy.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the return of the NTC to its mother unit through Executive Order No. 454 was part of the streamlining and reorganization of the Executive branch.

Bunye dismissed claims by the opposition that the transfer was meant to empower President Arroyo to take over media and telecommunication companies.

"The government has allowed the media to practically scream at the President at every turn. This administration has no intention of gagging the press and this will never happen under the President’s watch," Bunye said.

He said the opposition was being "malicious" in its interpretation of EO 454.

In July 1979, the NTC was placed under the control and supervision of then Ministry of Transportation and Communications under EO 546.

On Jan. 12, 2004, President Arroyo issued EO 269, entitled "Creating the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT)," granting it the authority to supervise and control the NTC.

By virtue of EO 454 issued last Aug. 16, the NTC was transferred back to the DOTC as part of the government’s efforts to streamline and reorganize the bureaucracy.

Some opposition lawmakers claimed the transfer of the NTC back to the control and supervision of the DOTC made it appear that EO 454 was issued to muzzle political dissent and control the media.

Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Ralph Recto, on the other hand, defended Malacañang over the NTC transfer.

"There are fears, the opposition is saying that it might be a crackdown on media, which I doubt very much," Recto said.

Recto stood pat on his statement last week that President Arroyo would not declare martial law or otherwise risk shortening her term of office.

"So I don’t think they’ll do a crackdown on media. I don’t believe that they’ll do martial law as well," Recto said.

Recto and Enrile believe EO 454 was just a routine order and administrative in nature.

Both lawmakers also noted the executive order fixed a bureaucratic problem involving the two line agencies of government which have practically the same functions.

"The NTC and the DOTC are both involved in telecommunications and I suppose they should be coordinating with regard to telecommunication policy," Recto pointed out.

Enrile, for his part, said the issuance of EO 454 was a presidential prerogative in an effort to reorganize the bureaucracy.

"Personally, I have not read the Executive Order but if that will govern NTC and nothing more, I think it’s too much to say that you are controlling the media," Enrile said.

"They cannot tell you how to write your stories. They cannot tell the editors how to deal with events or any newsworthy happenings," he added.

Administration congressmen, for their part, challenged their opposition colleagues to bring the issue before the Supreme Court instead of resorting to "disinformation."

Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella and Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier said the opposition was overreacting and being irresponsible in questioning EO 454.

Puentevella said the disinformation campaign waged by the opposition on EO 454 "revealed the lack of diligence and patience on their part to study thoroughly public issuances or documents."

"It’s a shame when public officials do not do their research exhaustively before using government documents like executive orders officially signed by President Arroyo to malign her and scare the public," Puentevella said.

Javier, for his part, said the minority’s disinformation on EO 454 was part of their claim that emergency rule was imminent.

"They want to terrorize the people with media as their latest target. The alleged curtailment of press freedom through EO 454 and their earlier claim of an issuance of a media ‘arrest list’ are all connected," he said.

To resolve the issue, Javier said the opposition should question EO 454 before the Supreme Court.

"We are confident the Supreme Court will uphold the legality of EO 454 since the directive was meant to streamline the bureaucracy, which Malacañang, DOTC and NTC officials explained," he said.

DOTC officials likewise assured there would be no suppression of press freedom under EO 454.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza said EO 454 is a presidential order for "streamlining of the bureaucracy," not a gag order for the media as the opposition claims.

"That is not true. The order was only meant to streamline the bureaucracy in the government, nothing more," Mendoza said.

DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion said the opposition is trying to spook the public in raising EO 454 as a political issue.

Lantion pointed out the NTC had been under the DOTC since 1979.

Opposition lawmakers led by Iloilo Rep. Rolex Suplico also claimed EO 454 was issued by President Arroyo to "curtail press freedom" in the wake of incessant criticism from the media and the public.

Suplico claimed the EO was issued to empower Mendoza as DOTC chief to clamp down on criticisms against the President and the administration.

House Minority Leader Francis Escudero (Sorsogon) also claimed EO 454 was patterned after the executive order issued by the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos on July 23, 1979 which empowered the government to take control of the NTC at the time the country was under martial law. — With Christina Mendez, Sandy Araneta