More than 150 participants attended the Visayas leg of the Regional Media Safety Summit in Dumaguete City on Friday, July 26, spearheaded by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS). In attendance were active members of the press, information officers of various government agencies, and the academe.
Anchored on the theme, “Empowering Press Freedom and Media Relations,” the summit, held at the Sierra Hotel, was hosted by the local government of Dumaguete City headed by Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo, in partnership with the PTFoMS and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
A firm proponent of good governance at the local level, Remollo added the gathering is also part of the city’s calendared activities ahead of their 75th anniversary this November.
He opened the summit with the wish not only for its success, but also as a platform for dialogue and collaboration between members of the press and public servants, focusing on enhancing understanding and cooperation in media and communication.
The program started with a message of support from Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary, Atty. Cheloy Garafil, read by PTFoMS Executive Director Undersecretary Paul Gutierrez and a message from Department of Justice (DOJ) Senior Undersecretary Jesse Hermogenes Andres.
For the occasion, the PTFoMS prepared five topics that the participants appreciated: safeguarding media from violation of their rights through the PTFoMS; legal and constitutional basis upholding freedom of opinion and expression in the country; rules on libel and cyber libel; guidelines on the relationship between the police and the media; and, enhancing and improving social media contents.
Gutierrez started the discussion by explaining the circumstances leading to the creation of the PTFoMS in 2016 under Administrative Order No. 1 (AO1) and its role as the government’s official mechanism to address all violations on the right to life, liberty, and security of all members of the media.
Gutierrez also provided an overview of the 11-point Journalist’s Code of Ethics and its real-life applications. He also encouraged local media practitioners in the social media realm to create their own professional organization with their own code of ethical standards and requirements for membership.
Atty. Hue Jyro Go, PTFoMS chief of staff, focused on the “Fundamentals of Democracy: Freedom of Opinion and Expression,” which laid down the governing constitutional provisions and international agreements that the Philippines is obligated to uphold in relation to freedom of opinion and expression.
He also reported that of the three recorded killings of journalists in Dumaguete – Edmund Sestoso, April 2018; Dindo Generoso, November 2019; and, Cornelio ‘Rex Cornelio’ Pepino, May 2020 – two of them, those of Sestoso and Cornelio, have been deemed “resolved,” while that of Generoso is pending before the local court. The PTFoMS stressed, however, that nothing stops the government from revisiting any case upon discovery of any new evidence.
On the other hand, Atty. Claudio ‘Dio’ Remollo, former chief political affairs officer at the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, enlightened the participants on the rules on libel and cyber libel under the subject, “Navigating Online Responsibility: News in Social Media and Cyber Libel.”
The younger Remollo offered valuable insights on the legal and ethical responsibilities of media practitioners in the digital age, addressing issues such as fake news, the complexities of online content, and how to avoid cyber libel.
He urged the audience to be cautious and discerning, especially in posting on social media, stating, “You can sway public opinion to a certain point, that’s why it’s a powerful tool that should be used with caution.”
PLT Stephen Jaynard Polinar, public information officer/spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO), presented on “An Effective Collaboration: Media-PNP Relations 101.” His session emphasized the importance of building strong partnerships between the media and law enforcement agencies to enhance community safety and ensure accurate information dissemination.
Polinar also reminded the participants of the approved policies and guidelines from the national police headquarters in Camp Crame pertaining to the relationship between the media and the police.
Aleli Dorado-Suguitan, overseer, Digital Media and Interactive Services at People’s Television Network (PTV), discussed “The Digital Sphere: Understanding and Enhancing Social Media Discourse.”
Her talk explored the role of social media, its appropriate use, and relevant issues in today’s open information age. She also imparted strategies to increase engagement, as well as practices to avoid in managing public pages.
Moreover, Ely Dejaresco, editor-publisher of The Negros Chronicle, the first and the oldest community newspaper in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental, informed not only the participants, but most especially the officials from Manila that the “local media is alive and well here.” Dejaresco provided information about the history of the Dumaguete Press Club and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, including the existence of the Press Club building along the Rizal Boulevard. He said that the media in Dumaguete has long been organized. | NWI
