10 May 2020
We, media groups, news outfits, journalists, and academics, condemn the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for a black propaganda offensive on social media against ABS-CBN and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.
These Facebook posts, while they have been taken down, are a brazenly criminal abuse of authority on the part of the NTF-ELCAC, replete with half-truths and outright lies that willfully endanger Maria and the management and personnel of the network that government shut down.
The only reason we can think of why a government entity tasked to combat the communist insurgency would wage a propaganda offensive against media persons and outfits is if government now considers us the enemy.
In fact, General Antonio Parlade, NTF-ELCAC spokesman, indicated as much. In a May 8 Philippine News Agency report, while insisting that press freedom was alive in this country, also warned critics of the ABS-CBN shutdown: “Yes to law and order! Otherwise you might just get the martial law that you deserve.”
Worse, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) aided in the slander by sharing these posts on its own page, although it later took these down, apparently after generating backlash from netizens.
While Communications Secretary Martin Andanar issued a statement saying the NTF-ELCAC posts were shared “without the usual vetting process of our office” and were “not in any way an official statement or an opinion of the PCOO,” neither did he apologize for his agency’s involvement nor even promise an investigation to identify those responsible for this reprehensibly irresponsible action.
We demand that government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), immediately mount an investigation into who in the NTF-ELCAC were responsible for ordering and creating the slanderous posts and why.
At a time when our people are battling a deadly pandemic, it is extremely unacceptable that there are those in government who are making media repression, not saving lives, as the priority.
INDIVIDUALS:
1. Manny Mogato
2. Inday Espina-Varona
3. Marites Vitug
4. Etta Rosales
5. Antonio J. Montalvan II
6. Eunice Barbara C. Novio
7. Tony La Viña
8. John Nery
9. Noemi L. Dado
10. Leslie Manalo
11. Lisa Garcia
12. Bart Guingona
13. Al Alegre
14. Marian Pastor Roces
15. Gang Badoy
16. Ramon Tuazon
17. Tess Bacalla
18. Joel Pablo Salud, editor and author
19. Ellen Tordesillas
20. Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News
21. Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News
22. Sheilla Diamse, ABS-CBN News
23. Melanie S. Masecampo, ABS-CBN News
24. Brian Vallesteros, ABS-CBN News
25. Sarah Herrera, ABS-CBN News
26. Gigi Gervasio, ABS-CBN News
27. Reyjohn Mark Sangcap, ABS-CBN News
28. Descirey Villanueva, ABS-CBN News
29. Engelbert Apostol, ABS-CBN News
30. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News
31. Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News
32. Isay Reyes, ABS-CBN News
33. Bea Cupin, Rappler
34. Pia Ranada, Rappler
35. Jodesz Gavilan, Rappler
36. Matthew Reysio-Cruz, Philippine Daily Inquirer
37. Herbie Gomez, Mindanao Gold Star Daily
38. Cong Corrales, Mindanao Gold Star Daily
39. Antonio J. Montalvan II
40. Lucia Tangi, UP Department of Journalism
41. Ivy Lisa Mendoza, UP Department of Journalism
42. Janvic Mate, UP Department of Journalism
43. Felipe F. Salvosa II, UST Journalism faculty
44. Christian V. Esguerra, UST Journalism faculty
45. Anna Cielo T. Perez, UST Journalism faculty
46. J Alwyn T. Alburo, UST Journalism faculty
47. Ferdinand J. Maglalang, UST Journalism faculty
48. Leo O. Laparan II, UST Journalism faculty
49. Danilo Arao, associate editor, Bulatlat
50. Beatrice Puente, editor-in-chief, Philippine Collegian
51. Rommel Rutor, president, Samar Island Press Club
52. Mate Espina
53. Jes Aznar
54. Jairo Bolledo, PUP Department of Journalism
55. Pat S. Roque
56. Julie Alipala
57. Raffy Cabristante
58. Jojo Riñoza
59. JB R Deveza
60. Tyrone Velez, SunStar Davao
61. Frank Cimatu, Cordillera News Agency/Baguio Writers Group
62. Ed Lingao
63. Barnaby Lo
64. Stanley Buenafe Gajete
ORGANIZATIONS:
1. Rappler
2. Philippine Press Institute
3. Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility
4. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
5. Mindanews
6. National Union of Journalists of the Philippines
7. NUJP-Eruope
8. NUJP-Albay
9. NUJP-Baguio Benguet
10. NUJP-Europe
11. NUJP-NCR
12. NUJP-Samar
13. Consortium on Democracy and Disinformation
14. VERA Files
15. Photojournalists Center of the Philippines
16. Kodao Productions
17. Bulatlat
18. Panay Today
19. Dampig Katarungan
20. Panaysayon
21. Altermidya Network
22. Northern Dispatch
23. Davao Today
24. College Editors Guild of the Philippines