No government plan for magna carta for journalists – Egco

August 1, 2018 Metro BLISTT

Government is not planning to push for a Magna Carta for journalists, the Presidential Task Force for Media Security (PTFoMS) clarified this week.
This, after a meme and a news article came out from Baguio-based newspaper quoting PTFoMS executive director Undersecretary Joel Sy-Egco apparently pushing for a Magna Carta for journalists to professionalize the industry.
PTFoMS held a seminar on the implementation of the Operational Guidelines of Administrative Order No. 1 at the Hotel Elizabeth in Baguio City among police officials, prosecutors and a select few journalists for Regions 1, 2 and Cordillera on July 20.
We wish to clarify that the so-called “magna carta for journalists is neither being planned by the PTFoMS or could be called ‘a measure’ by the agency at this point as it was merely an idea which (Usec. Joel Sy Egco) shared” when labor issues affecting journalists was raised by Sunstar-Baguio reporter Jonathan Llanes, lawyer Abraham Agamata, PTFoMS chief of staff said.
Journalists group National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chided Egco for the supposed statement on Magna Carta and media regulation.
PTFoMS has already sent a letter of clarification to Sunstar-Baguio, further asking it to take down the meme in its facebook page that has accordingly “painted” a negative impression on the PTFoMS and Egco because of the “misquotation”.
Lawyer Agamata further explained that “such a plan or measure by the PTFoMS for a ‘magna carta for journalists’ is non-existent as of now,” adding, “in fact, Usec. Egco always has been vehemently against said Magna Carta for Journalists introduced in past congresses for being patently unacceptable.”
Sy-Egco was a former senior reporter at the Manila Times.
Agamata further believe “(Llanes) was excited over the prospect of having a solution in sight for the plight of thousands of media workers all over the country and thus wrote the article with the intent of supporting the idea of a ‘magna carta for journalists’. But while, we are one with him in his zeal and enthusiasm for securing the welfare and safety of thousands of legitimate media workers as this is the mandate of our agency under Administrative Order No. 1,” the PTFoMS chief of staff said, “the damaging meme and his story has caused a bit of stir amongst our media workers all over the country and so we now seek your speedy action in helping the PTFoMS clarify its position with regard to the magna carta for journalists.
Agamata further explained that in Sunstar’s meme and article, “it seems that Usec. Egco’s explanation about the idea of the magnacarta for journalists was printed without the proper context. This conveyed the wrong impression that such a magna carta would be used as a tool to limit or suppress the voices of our journalists”.
Such “Magna Carta”, the PTFoMS reiterated, “is farthest from our minds and contrary to the mandate of the Task Force”.
PTFoMS even provided Sunstar-Baguio of audio recordings made from the discussion between Egco and Llanes, which accordingly bear out “that the idea being discussed was the various means of granting professional certification to reporters, editors, managerial staff, and other media workers as a means of securing better compensation as well as benefits from their employers.”
Sunstar Baguio editor Roderick Osis vowed he welcomes any clarification on the matter while standing by Llanes’ story based on the reporter’s own audio recording on his interview with Usec Ego. ACE ALEGRE / ABN