Chief Justice Puno Lauds PAPI’S Role In Defense of Press Freedom

Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno has lauded the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) for its vital role in the defense, promotion and preservation of press freedom.“As our country’s oldest and largest organization of publishers and journalists, you are to be commended for protecting freedom of the press in our country, especially our community based newspapers,” he said.Puno delivered a thanksgiving address shortly after he was handed the first “Press Freedom Award” by PAPI president Juan P. Dayang during ceremonies at the corporate headquarters of the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp. office in Intramuros, Manila. Manila Bulletin chairman Dr. Emilio T. Yap was given the “Man of the Year Award” by PAPI.Puno said that as a self-regulating agency, PAPI has the capability to insure the practice of responsible journalism, adding that “with your extensive linkages, you enhance the strength of the Philippine press from forces seeking to thwart it.”In receiving the award, the chief magistrate said it is also the institution he represents, the judiciary, and the men and women who comprise it, who deserve it “for showing exemplary courage in the defense, promotion, and preservation of the sanctity of the freedom of the press.”In his speech, Puno noted that press freedom is one of the most fragile of liberties and that it must be protected because it has a linchpin role in the establishment and maintenance of a democratic society.“The press provides our people with the wellspring of information and data that enable them to have an enlightened participation in our deliberative democracy,” he said.Puno cited a recent survey conducted by the Committee to Protect Journalists showing that the Philippines ranked fifth in the number of journalists killed world-wide from 1992 to 2006. “We ranked behind Iraq, Algeria, Russia, and Colombia, countries that have since acquired the unenviable reputation of suffering from the heaviest press restrictions,” he said.The Supreme Court chief justice described the survey’s finding as alarming, saying that a free and independent press is part of the country’s glorious history as early as the time when it was colonized by Spain.“The threats to freedom of the press come not only from outright suppression, but also from subtle erosions through the adept use of “legal weapons,” Puno said.He added that these threats may ebb and flow, but they never cease, noting that since 2001, 33 of local journalists have been killed in the line of duty, 29 of them for exposing corrupt government practices in their home provinces or illegal activities such as drug trafficking and gambling. “This is part of the reason why the Supreme Court took the unprece-dented step of promulgating the rule on the Writ of Amparo. It is our pious hope that these killings and disappearances will stand a better chance of solution with this new writ of liberty,” Puno stressed. /MP