DAVAO CITY – A day after incoming President Rodrigo Duterte pronounced why journalists are killed in the country, his spokesperson Atty. Salvador Panelo clarified that Duterte is not endorsing media killings.
“What he was saying last night was when a journalist was killed, it doesn’t mean that he is being killed as a journalist. That person is being killed because he has done something wrong to another fellowman,” Panelo told reporters here on Wednesday afternoon, June 1.
Panelo said Duterte “is very protective of journalists.”
“Very protective of the rights of the journalists to express their opinion regardless of whether or not this is in opposition to the policies he has made,” Panelo said.
Panelo also said that Duterte only meant that a journalist is killed not because of profession but because of what he has done.
“Whether you are lawyer, a journalist, a public official, if you committed a grievous wrong to another person then that person you owe him a debt, a blood debt then you will pay for it,” said Panelo.
“That’s against the law but that is the reason, the rationale of killing,” the spokesman said.
Panelo also said that Duterte has never endorsed killings.
“He is against anything that is illegal in this country,” said Panelo.
He said he believes the President’s statement was “taken out of context”.
In a press conference here on Tuesday night, Duterte was asked about the media killings that the outgoing administration has failed to resolve.
But Duterte explained his thoughts on why journalists are being killed and that is because they are “corrupt”.
Duterte’s statement was not taken lightly by media watchdogs who feared that the President-elect is signaling a go-signal to attack journalists.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said there can be no justification for the murder of journalists.
The NUJP also expressed dismay on Duterte who is supportive for the enactment of the Freedom of Information law. Duterte also declared that he would put up a special task force to investigate media killings. (davaotoday.com)
