Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (INQUIRER/Joan Bondoc)
Malaca帽ang disagreed on the pronouncement of various media organizatons on Thursday that the practice of journalism in the country became a 鈥渕ore dangerous endeavor鈥� under the Duterte administration.
鈥淚 dispute that po kasi pagdating sa patayan bumababa po talaga ang patayan sa Pilipinas at bumababa po ang ranggo ng Pilipinas doon sa mga listahan ng most dangerous places in the world for journalists,鈥� Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
鈥淟et鈥檚 give credit where it is due,鈥� he added.
Roque, however, did not specify which media watchdog came out with the report that showed the Philippines鈥� ranking as the most dangerous place for journalists has gone down.
In a joint report released in observance of the World Press Freedom Day, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Philippine Press Institute (PPI), and Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said a total of 85 cases of attacks against the media have been recorded since July 2016, 鈥渇ar exceeding鈥� those recorded under four presidents before Duterte.
The media groups noted the attacks 鈥渉ave made the practice of journalism an even more dangerous endeavor under Duterte.鈥�
READ: 85 cases of attacks vs media under Duterte admin 鈥� groups
Even the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has earlier said that Iraq and the Philippines are the deadliest places for journalists.
搁贰础顿:听Iraq, PH deadliest places for journalists, says media group
Roque said he would clarify with the four media groups about their definition of attacks.
鈥淗indi ko po alam kung anong classification ang ibig sabihin ng attacks. Baka naman pati verbal attacks kasama diyan. So hindi ko po talaga alam anong attacks ang ibig sabihin nila. Let me clarify what they mean by that,鈥� he said.
Roque, who is also the presidential adviser on human rights,聽likewise condemned the killing of Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura in Gattaran town in Cagayan, and radio broadcaster Edmund Sestoso in Dumaguete.
鈥淜inondena po natin lahat ang patayan na 鈥榶an at sinisiguro ko naman po na ang gobyerno po ay gumagawa ng hakbang para tuparin ang kanyang responsibilidad,鈥� he said.
鈥淚imbestigahan po natin 鈥榶an, lilitisin, at paparusahan ang mga pumapatay,鈥� he added.
The Palace official further said the Duterte administration was not ignoring even the past cases of media killings in the Philippines.
鈥淗indi po natin binabaon sa limot yung mga namatay na mamahayag at ang paninindigan po talaga natin ay magkakaroon po聽聽talaga ng puspusang paglilitis at talagang paparushan ang pumamapatay sa lahat lalung-lalo na po sa pumapatay sa media at mga taong mga nananmapalataya,鈥� he said.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 /kga