Media organizations have nothing to fear as long as they are not engaged in illegal activities, a Palace official said yesterday, in the wake of complaints of alleged Red-tagging of some journalists.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said President Duterte himself has not paid attention to media entities critical of his administration.
“Kung wala kang ginagawa hindi ka dapat matakot. Nakita mo naman si Presidente, kahit anong criticize mo sa kanya hindi naman niya pinapansin,” he said.
Panelo, however, explained that the military would not have associated some media practitioners with the communist group if it didn’t have any proof.
He admitted that the Armed Forces of the Philippines would have basis before airing suspicions about a person.
“Alam mo ‘yung AFP, ‘yung in-charge diyan, hindi naman basta nagsususpetsa ‘yun kung walang basehan,” he said.
“‘Pag ikaw ay sinabing kumikiling ka sa kaliwa at meron kang sinasabi laban sa gobyerno, ibig sabihin meron silang basehan. May ebidensiya sila na ‘yun nga ang ginagawa mo.”
A local press group in Cagayan de Oro City recently denounced anew the alleged Red-tagging of some journalists in their area.
Posters accusing some journalists as members of the communist group were reportedly delivered by a courier at the provincial capitol. Similar anti-communist propaganda were reportedly sent during a solidarity rally at the ABS-CBN regional office in Cagayan de Oro.
When the Red-tagging allegations cropped up last year, the Commission on Human Rights vowed to look into the incident and asked authorities to ensure the protection of journalists from such threats.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar previously assured that they have no policy to Red-tag any person or organization. (Genalyn Kabiling)
