UN rapporteur asks about media threats

MANILA, Philippines —  United Nations Special Rapporteur on free expression Irene Khan yesterday quizzed Philippine officials on their response whenever a journalist is killed or receives threats, President Marcos’ media security task force said, as it expressed confidence that it was able to dispel negative notions about the state of press freedom in the country.

Khan is in the Philippines for a 10-day visit that seeks to examine the status of free expression and media freedom in the country, said to be the home of the freest press in Asia.

Before her meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in Malacañang yesterday, Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Paul Gutierrez said Khan was informed about the administration’s efforts to improve the Philippines’ ranking in the Global Impunity Index of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

“She asked about the processes in case there are threats against the media and we explained it to her. She also asked what the agencies of the government are doing in case a member of the media is killed and it was explained to her,” Gutierrez said in a public briefing over state-run People’s Television.

Gutierrez noted that the Philippines’ ranking in the 2023 Global Impunity Index improved by a notch to 8th from 7th under the previous administration.

“Her visit can help open the eyes of the United Nations that not all the reports reaching the UN are accurate and that our government has a stronger credibility in terms of responding to this problem, because our processes are complete and the justice system in the country remains strong,” he said.

The PTFoMS chief said Khan was also informed about the four cases of media killings already considered solved because cases have been filed and some of the suspects have been jailed.

“We showed her that the coordination between the task force and responsible agencies of government, especially the Department of Justice, the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, is good,” Gutierrez said.

He said Khan has seen that the Marcos administration allows the expression of dissenting views. He added that the rapporteur had questioned the government’s figures on killings but was surprised that more than half of the cases reported since 1987 have been resolved.

At a forum in Cebu City last November, the PTFoMS reported that of the 204 cases of media killings from 1987 to October 2023, half or 102 have been resolved.

Gutierrez said the bills seeking to protect human rights defenders, decriminalize libel and promote media welfare were discussed during Khan’s meeting with lawmakers.

“So overall, I think we have presented to Miss Irene Khan the commitment, openness and transparency of the Marcos administration in addressing all these issues that are related to the freedom of opinion, expression and of course to the wider issue of human rights,” the PTFoMS chief said.

“We have again shown our transparency, our openness, our readiness to dialogue with anyone and to show the true record of the state of human rights and journalism in our country,” he added.

Last Wednesday, Khan attended a lecture on international human rights law at the Ateneo Law School auditorium. During the event, the rapporteur was asked about red-baiting or “red tagging.”

“Khan pointed to the assurance of Philippine officials that red-tagging is not an official government policy while highlighting its ambiguous nature. Nonetheless, she acknowledged that international law clearly prohibits any speech that incites violence, hatred or discrimination,” PTFoMS said in a statement.

The UN rapporteur will have a closed-door exit conference with officials before holding a press conference today. Gutierrez said Khan’s draft report may be sent to the government in June for its comments. Once it is finalized, the report will be submitted to the UN assembly in July next year.

A different matter

While it is within the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s power to issue a warrant against an individual, even a sitting official of the Philippine government, the enforcement of such is a “different matter,” according to Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra.

He issued the remark when asked if the ICC can issue an arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte, as she has been accused of involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City during her stint as mayor in 2012.

Former Davao Senior Police Officer Arturo Lascañas, a self-confessed hitman and alleged member of the original Davao Death Squad, recently accused Duterte of orchestrating “Oplan Tokhang” in Davao City during her watch at city hall.

He said he submitted a 186-page affidavit to the ICC which contains information on the alleged killings perpetrated by former president Rodrigo Duterte and the involvement of his daughter Sara in the extrajudicial killings in Davao City.

Amid this, Guevarra reiterated that the Philippine government has no legal duty to cooperate with the ICC “due to major issues of jurisdiction and sovereignty.”

He instead assured those with complaints about alleged abuses in the drug war that the country’s national institutions “are ready to investigate and prosecute all those who have violated the law.”