MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has denounced comments made by DWIZ host Rey Joseph Nieto against an online journalist as dastardly, adding he may have committed a crime.
“There is no other way to see it but this: RJ (Rey Joseph) Nieto encouraged a senior government official on air to throw 'hollow blocks' against a journalist, thereby threatening her, thereby possibly committing a crime,” NUJP said in statement Sunday.
It added: “Clearly, Nieto, in his patent ignorance and arrogance, has crossed more lines. It is time to make him pay for recklessly endangering a working journalist.”
In a radio interview, Nieto told Rep. Harry Roque — de facto presidential spokesperson — to throw a hollow block at ?Pia Ranada, who covers Malacañang for Rappler.
On Friday, Ranada called out DWIZ, a Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas-recognized radio station, for “allowing its hosts to threaten journalists.”
She then filed a formal complaint against DWIZ with KBP.
NUJP also criticized Roque for allowing this exchange between him and Nieto on air, saying the he should have called the Thinking Pinoy blogger’s attention to the remark.
“Wasn’t it Roque himself who told blogger and government official Mocha Uson he would throw hollow blocks at the critics of this administration? Shame,” it said.
NUJP also called on KBP and Aliw Broadcasting Corporation to “do what is right given all these.”
Nieto's supporters have dismissed Ranada's response to the comment as an overreaction since the blogger was not referring to an actual hollow block.
‘If you throw stones, I’ll throw hollow blocks’
Nieto’s ‘hollow block’ threat at Ranada was in reference to Roque’s earlier statement in a video posted on Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson's Facebook page last week, where he promsied to hit back at Duterte critics.
“If, in the past, you were able to throw stones without anyone hitting back, be warned that if you throw stones, I won't just throw stones but hollow blocks,” Roque said.
"Just wait for the adobe and hollow blocks that I will throw at you," Roque warned in the same video, where he also said he believes in allowing "the marketplace of ideas" to flourish.
Roque then clarified that his hollow block threat was not intended for the general public but for the Die-hard Duterte Supporters or DDS. Roque has explained that he said that so he could reassure the DDS that he will defend President Duterte.
READ: Roque to Duterte critics: If you throw stones, I'll throw hollow blocks
On his latest social media post, Roque told Duterte supporters to throw “hot pandesal” instead of hollow blocks at critics of the administration.
“To my DDS friends: Please leave Pia Ranada alone. Let us please not throw anything at legitimate journalists. Let's give them, particularly the critical ones, hot pandesal instead,” he said.
The group of journalists also called on the Presidential Task Force on Media Security to look into the case.