The International Association of Women in Radio and Television-Philippines (IAWRT) defended on Tuesday the journalists’ right to report Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment proceedings, accusing her camp of making ‘veiled threats.’
That was their reaction after defense lawyer Mark Vinluan enumerated the penalties under the Anti-Money Laundering Act while cross-examining prosecution witness Ronel Buenaventura, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) secretariat, during Monday’s impeachment hearing.
‘We take exception to Attorney Mark Vinluan’s veiled threat to journalists covering the impeachment proceedings,’ the association said in a statement released on Tuesday.
It added: ‘Such actions undermine press freedom, and we will firmly call out any attempt to silence the press, regardless of where it originates.’
According to the group, journalists have covered impeachment proceedings against former President Joseph Estrada and Chief Justice Renato Corona.
During these trials, Estrada and Corona’s statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth and other government transactions were also reported ‘as matters of public accountability and legal significance.’
‘There is no principled reason why the present proceedings should be treated differently. Freedom of the press and the public’s right to information on matters of public concern are fundamental human rights,’ IAWRT emphasized.
At the hearing, Senator-Judges Raffy Tulfo, Francis Pangilinan, Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, and Risa Hontiveros called out Vinluan after he raised the possible administrative and criminal liabilities of individuals, including the media, for disclosing and reporting confidential information.
According to Tulfo, the Senate impeachment court had already allowed the disclosure of AMLC records in the vice president’s trial.
‘The press must remain free to inform the public, independently and without intimidation or improper interference,’ the IAWRT said.