Images from Radyo Natin Guimba
CABANATUAN CITY — An affiliate station of radio giant Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) decried on Wednesday the passing of a resolution by the Guimba municipal council that authorizes Mayor Jose Dizon “to file and institute the necessary legal action” against it.
Gie Herrera, manager of Radyo Natin Guimba (RNG), branded as an affront to press freedom Resolution No. 52-s-2020 that was approved by the sangguniang bayan on May 11, 2020.
The resolution authorized Dizon to file civil, administrative and/or criminal action against RNG, its officers, directors, managers, and broadcast personalities for alleged violation of law “which the said station may have committed against this municipality.”
The two-page resolution did not state any particular incident of RNG’s supposed violation but cited Sec. 6(f) of Republic Act 11469 or Bayanihan To Heal As One Act that penalizes dissemination of false information regarding Covid-19.
Herrera said they have been covering and reporting all activities, including distribution of relief goods, Social Amelioration Program payouts, as well as complaints from the residents fairly.
“Ginagawa lang namin ang trabaho namin bilang media,” Herrera said.
“Ang hakbang na ito ay tahasang pagkitil sa malayang pamamahayag katumbas ng pagkitil sa karapatan ng mamamayang humihingi ng ayuda sa gitna ng pagpapatupad ng ECQ dahil sa pandemic na Covid-19,” the RNG said in a statement.
Earlier this month, a field of reporter of the station was allegedly barred by the police from taking videos and pictures of people appealing for SAP at the mayor’s office and the municipal social welfare and development office.
On May 11, a Guimba official allegedly took the company ID card and the one issued by the Presidential Communications Operations Office of RNG field reporter Lina Villaflor while covering the sangguniang bayan session. The IDs were allegedly photographed and reported to a lawyer, according to the statement.
Guimba municipal information officer Sherwin Jonathan Goiou denied accusations that the local government is curtailing press freedom. He maintained the resolution is in accordance with the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act.
He also noted an incident when RNG allegedly reported a group of villagers holding placards to cry for help. Those residents, Goiou said, later claimed tbey were just made to hold the placards and they were never hungry because the local government had just distributed relief packages then.
