- Jiggy Manicad is underfire after his thoughts about press freedom is not under attack.
- His colleagues in the broadcast and journalism field went against his stand.
- Manicad is running under Sarah Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago.
The erstwhile broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad who made an official exit from his post in TV programs like Quick Response Team and 24 Oras Weekend in April 2018; and received flak from media practitioners and even from campus journalists after he made a statement about the government’s stand and agreed that press freedom in the country is not under attack.
Manicad, a senatorial contender mentioned that the cases against Rappler have a chilling effect on media freedom in the country, he said “no”.
He added: “We just do our jobs as reporters as journalists. Because at the end of the day, if it is really an attack on the overall press freedom of the nation, I’ll be the first one to fight.”
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in January 2018, ordered Rappler’s business registration revoked after it found that the online news site had violated a constitutional ban on foreign ownership of media.
Manicad tried to justify the government’s side, “I think the government has basis to say there are foreign funds that went into Rappler and it’s a violation of the constitution.”
Rufino ‘Raffy’ Tima Jr., a colleague of Manicad, producer and presenter for GMA Network and its affiliate, GMA News TV; tweeted yesterday: “Sad that even veteran journalists have succumbed to being a parrot on a lot of issues, echoing sentiments from social media with little or no context and background. Ratings? Hidden bias? Or laziness? We are obligated to contextualize the |Truth” from all sides. Let’s do our job.”
Based from an article on philstar.com the National Press Club (NPC) said then that “in the broader Philippine media industry, Rappler is just one among the thousands of media entities in the country and whose operations have remained free.”
Even the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) issued a statement: “On Jiggy Manicad’s claim on press freedom.
https://www.facebook.com/CEGPNationalOffice/photos/a.10152009626900458/10155759984385458/?type=3&theater
“In a television interview, Monday, former broadcast journalist and senatorial bet Jiggy Manicad claimed that the government’s case against Rappler has “no chilling effect” on the country’s media freedom, and described it rather a political attack than an assault to press freedom.
“Manicad, who runs under Sarah Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago, might find it too convenient to categorize the case against Rappler as isolated among the almost a hundred cases of press freedom violations under the Duterte presidency.
“Last year, Rappler’s license was revoked by the Securities and Exchange Commission after it accused the online media outfit operating under constitutional violation of its alleged foreign ownership.
“But Rappler was not the only media entity to have experienced state-directed actions. In 2017, owners of Philippine Daily Inquirer were pursued with legal charges from the government. President Rodrigo Duterte also threatened to block ABS-CBN’s broadcast franchise renewal.
“It is easy to shrug off the deleterious state of press freedom under a tyrannical rule for the sake of enriching power and personal interests, even at the expense of the toiling Filipino people.
“At least 12 media killings, six cases of intimidation, seven attempted murders, and three arrests were part of 99 documented cases of press freedom violations under the Duterte regime as per Freedom for Media, Freedom for All Network.
“If senator-wannabe Jiggy Manicad must know, tyrants and those who opt to side with them can never silence the alagad ng midya. The Philippine press has fearlessly exposed the ills of the society and will unceasingly do so under the fascist and corrupt Duterte regime.
“After all, we no longer need an additional senator in the government who will ultimately and effectively serve the status quo.
“Now more than ever, journalists, including members of the campus press, should stand united against continuing state harassment of the Duterte administration against our ranks.
“The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines cautioned that the order would have a “chilling effect” on media and said “an assault against journalists is an assault against democracy.”
“The Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines, which has members who cover the SEC, called the move “a small step to a bigger, darker agenda.”
In 2017, Duterte threatened to file lawsuits against the Philippine Daily Inquirer and its owners.
The Commander-in-Chief also repeatedly threatened to file charges of multiple syndicated estafa against ABS-CBN Corporation and vocally is opposed to renewing the entertainment giant’s franchise.
Of all these, such scenario, those who continually seek answers and not excuses are also doubting Manicad’s stand as a senatorial candidate and as an ex-journalist.
Philippine Graphic Magazine’s editor-in-chief Joel Pablo Salud also wrote: “Hijo, what is your idea of being under attack? Members of the media getting gunned down in the line of duty?
https://www.facebook.com/jsalud/posts/10156964096824183
“If so, let me remind you that in the first two years of the Duterte administration, 12 members of the media have been killed.
“As for the perpetrators who’d been caught, if at all, your guess is as good as mine.
“What about harassment? Intimidation? Perfect words to describe what is going on behind the scenes with Rappler, Inquirer, Bulatlat and ABS-CBN–all critical of the Duterte presidency. I wouldn’t call it a party as there are only bad spirits being served.
“So, if not press freedom, then what is under attack? Surely not the coffee press.
“Besides, one murder is one too many.
“As for the intimidation tactics against Rappler, Inquirer, Bulatlat and ABS-CBN, what’s the motive behind them? The President teaching these media entities a lesson?
“A lesson in what? What possible wisdom can anyone get from a sick old perv whose claim to a vocabulary is limited to rape and murder?
“These media groups I just mentioned? While they are not altogether perfect, I’m glad they’re not cowards.
“In this day and age when the face of “exemplary journalism” mirrors the face of Andanar, we need courage more than ever.
“Courage to make a stand regardless of the dangers journalists face; courage to draw the line when the same is blurred by lies.
“Courage to speak truth to power even when it’s an attempt at futility; courage to be journalists when journalism is perceived as a crime.
“Such display of courage can be daunting to some who’d readily embrace shame than stand his ground.
“Shame. I suggest you look it up in the dictionary.”
