Unnecessary vitriol, unjustifiable threats
STATEMENT OF THE ECONOMIC JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES ON PRESIDENT-ELECT RODRIGO DUTERTE
It is with great concern that the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) wishes to address the recent pronouncements of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte against journalists in the country.
We in EJAP, as an organization of business and economic journalists in the Philippines, take pride in our and the industry's role as the messenger of news, be it good or bad, that contribute to the development and growth of the country.
We take with great seriousness our role as the Fourth Estate, taking great care to perform our tasks of presenting news in a relevant, timely, objective and accurate manner, cognizant of the fact that the public's interest is our ultimate goal.
Mr. Duterte's recent pronouncement justifying the killing of some practitioners for alleged corrupt practices, however, casts doubt on the industry's aspirations, unjustifiably threatening the lives of journalists.
It is a fact that some slighted parties resort to casting doubt on the credibility of a practitioner or a reporting news outlet every time a news detrimental to their interests are printed or aired. Such practice has been so common that we in the industry have grown accustomed to such response and considered it a hazard of the trade.
Mr. Duterte's pronouncement, however, adds fuel to the fire of discontent, which in a way can also be construed as soliciting violence against us practitioners.
We in EJAP find his pronouncement inappropriate, most specially for someone of his stature who’s supposed to defend the rule of law.
The Philippine justice system has an established process by which grievances and concerns can be heard and addressed. Countless slighted individuals, be it private or public officials, have in numerous times turned to this process to air their grievances and were given their due.
While corruption is a grave concern, violence is never a solution to addressing the problem. It may also be worth noting that practitioners on their own and collectively as an industry are working to address the issue.
But more importantly, and is worth reiterating, violence as a means of redress is never an option and would be a slap in the face of a democratic country like the Philippines that prides itself to be a society governed by the rule of law yet has a President who justifies killing sans due process.
We in EJAP will remain committed to our craft and profession, soldiering on in our role as news messenger, fiscalizer and government watchdog or, as we have been called, the Fourth Estate.
It is with great concern that the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) wishes to address the recent pronouncements of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte against journalists in the country.
We in EJAP, as an organization of business and economic journalists in the Philippines, take pride in our and the industry's role as the messenger of news, be it good or bad, that contribute to the development and growth of the country.
We take with great seriousness our role as the Fourth Estate, taking great care to perform our tasks of presenting news in a relevant, timely, objective and accurate manner, cognizant of the fact that the public's interest is our ultimate goal.
Mr. Duterte's recent pronouncement justifying the killing of some practitioners for alleged corrupt practices, however, casts doubt on the industry's aspirations, unjustifiably threatening the lives of journalists.
It is a fact that some slighted parties resort to casting doubt on the credibility of a practitioner or a reporting news outlet every time a news detrimental to their interests are printed or aired. Such practice has been so common that we in the industry have grown accustomed to such response and considered it a hazard of the trade.
Mr. Duterte's pronouncement, however, adds fuel to the fire of discontent, which in a way can also be construed as soliciting violence against us practitioners.
We in EJAP find his pronouncement inappropriate, most specially for someone of his stature who’s supposed to defend the rule of law.
The Philippine justice system has an established process by which grievances and concerns can be heard and addressed. Countless slighted individuals, be it private or public officials, have in numerous times turned to this process to air their grievances and were given their due.
While corruption is a grave concern, violence is never a solution to addressing the problem. It may also be worth noting that practitioners on their own and collectively as an industry are working to address the issue.
But more importantly, and is worth reiterating, violence as a means of redress is never an option and would be a slap in the face of a democratic country like the Philippines that prides itself to be a society governed by the rule of law yet has a President who justifies killing sans due process.
We in EJAP will remain committed to our craft and profession, soldiering on in our role as news messenger, fiscalizer and government watchdog or, as we have been called, the Fourth Estate.