Lim defends journalists in Makati siege
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said over the weekend that it was wrong for authorities to arrest journalists who covered the
In a speech during the induction ceremonies of the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA), Lim cited the important role that media plays in society and delivering the news as they happen, adding that their presence even prevented what could have been a bloody confrontation between government forces and the group led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
“Where the news is, so are the media,” he said.
Lim stressed that “those in public office should not be onion-skinned” because dealing with the media is part and parcel of being a government official.
He noted that a media that is free from the shackles of the powers-that-be is a sign of a healthy society. Any form of media repression must be nipped in the bud because the public deserves to know the truth about everything that is going on around them, according to Lim.
This, Lim explained, is the reason why he filed a bill decriminalizing libel when he was a senator. Lim’s bill sought to erase the criminal aspect of libel cases because the prospect of being charged by powerful officials, arrested and subsequently posting bail is like a Damocles’ sword hanging over the heads of journalists. – Edu Punay
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