Attacking Media Freedom in the philippines president bird rico tatay takes legal action to shut down the largest t. V. Network which is also his fierce critics journalists accuse him of dictatorship so what now for freedom of speech in one of asias largest democracies this is inside story. Hello and welcome to the program. Its being described as the most severe attack on Media Freedom in the philippines president rodrigo tatay has 5 a Supreme Court petition to shut down the not Just Television network accusing a. B. S. C. B. S. And of committing what are described as highly abusive practices the National Union of journalists of the philippines protested on friday accusing the detect a government of trying to silence critical media tatty has repeatedly vowed to stop the Networks Operations its franchise expires on march 30th make an egg report. Journalists and activists show their support at the headquarters of a. B. S. C b n in manila the leading network in the philippines faces closure after mili 70 use president 2 or 3 go deter taiz government says the broad cost of violated its license by charging few woods for content and allowing Foreign Investors to own part of the company that supported this bill. The reason is revenge its another tool. Where. Somebody. Here. Most logical. Is always with the way the total uses the network refused to play his Campaign Adverts during the 2016 election and its broadcast highly critical reports of the president s crackdown on illegal drug gangs Rights Groups say police have killed at least 27000 people over the past 3 years the government says the total is 6000 rappler is another media outlet facing shut down for speaking against deter the news websites lawyers are contesting several court cases including tax evasion and illegal Foreign Ownership speaking exclusively to the listening post on aljazeera rappers founder says deter government is repeating previous tactics you go back to 1970 s. And then you go back again to 986 any time someone wants to take control of government the 1st step is to control the media this is the 21st century version of that but whats so interesting is you dont even have to declare martial law to try to control media you have you hang a damocles sword over owners their families you threaten them with legal cases and you can control them this way i. B. S. C. B. S. Larsons expires next month the government says it can continue to broadcast while congress decides whether to renew its franchise for another 25 use activists say whatever happens deter shutdown attempt has caused long term damage to Media Freedom in the philippines nicholas. H. For inside story. Well as for ing in our guests now for todays inside story from manila is harry roque a lawyer and former spokesman for president to ted and a former member of congress and San Diego California in the u. S. Richard hadari an epileptic or scientists and author of the rise of detaching a populist revolt against elites democracy and also in manila danino are our journalism professor at the university of the philippines thank you gentlemen for being with us on inside story harry role in many let me start with you you were president of terra taze spokesman once youve known him for a long time what is his governments real motivation in wanting to shut down a. B. S. C b n well let me 1st correct your reporting the president has clarified 3 of aaron spokesperson that the has nothing to do with it all warrant opposition filed by the office of this of his general under the philippine constitution the philippine Supreme Court has originated jurisdiction over these kinds of petition and under the rule 66. 00 of the revised rules of court they always g. Is in fact authorized to fight this but this shows now having said that i dont think the petition will prosper in any way it is in the nature of a prior restraint and in our jurisprudence all prior restraints come to court with a heavy presumption of unconstitutionality so short of a clear and present danger i dont think the Supreme Court will act on the petition specially since the life of the franchise of e. B. s b. N. Its only until march 30 by for this prediction is of the court when that act on it until the franchise of e. B. s debate expires in which in which case it becomes moot that epidemic and that right for judicial determination all right let me bring in our in manila you dont seem to agree with harry dimino when he says that this petition has nothing to do with president attested that president teddy had nothing to do with the petition. Everything to do with us we just need to realize that early s 27. In the 2nd state of the nation and the us he identified that he has made organization see through the cd and or either that or. They buy the public as well allegations or in ownership and besides the obvious the solicitor general acts in behalf of the got their man and we cannot deny the fact that the head. Man even if there is cleared it all also out of the legislature and the judicial branches of government so the 2nd he who is 3rd in the philippines as at least one general will definitely be receiving marching orders from i mean does the president then are you saying that the president calls the shots when it comes to media regulation of course he thus because hes the president number one and of course 2nd of all he has a game from the low sure where atheist at the end its not just simply a bend that. He already. Publicly that he would prefer that the lot as. The oem a. B. S. E the end would just simply say. A. B. C. At the end that think it will be fine and that and when there are a show on us event or that i see that where i. Said there are lists which is one of. Us that the administration really gave a. B. S. E and for whatever alleged shots so of course in the art hardly me say that these are just circumstantial evidence d these are irrelevant but in the art of Public Opinion and in the struggle for Media Freedom all of these things in the lot and we see right now that one very gentle soul wired probable then i. Westward there in your world and. Richard a diary and youll find some this is just so much imagination in that apartment i think the president has gone on record that he leaves it to congress whether or not to renew the franchise of a. B. S. E b. N. Under a constitution that is in fact a sole exclusive derogative of the house of representatives and that he makes a big issue about the concept of doctrine of qualified Political Agency in this instance the president has expressly said that he had nothing to do with that petition and under the rules of court rule 66. 00 there would be that election of judy on the part of the solicitor general if his belief there is a violation of the franchise and he does nothing about it ok lets not automatically conclude that any act of a cabinet is the act of the president because a qualified Political Agency says exactly that its qualified until ratified or rejected by the president and in this instance the president said i had nothing to do with that ok Richard Barry and let me bring you into the conversation gentlemen lets this allowed richard to also give you a start on this issue Richard Harris says the president has nothing to do with this petition our guest. In the philippines says no he does and hes being venture fall where do you stand on this what do you think is going on here. Well as a political scientist my job is to compare it to Different Countries especially fledgling democracies over time and i think it would be quite naive and fanciful question that in countries like the philippines which is a fledgling democracy you have complete and absolute rule of law i think very difficult to separate the exercise of law from political interests in countries like the philippines so this is something that is going to be very hard and i think downforce we know that any kind of attack or move against media like a b s b and its not the 1st time to the top any event on the collapse of the markets dictatorship we have other president s other things that president s and other properties and at some point popular president bill is also very critical of the b. B. N. And i think the jamming administration also in the past is quite critical of the the and present it that is not the 1st president and recent memory in the philippines for us gone against a gets even or i think the cues they get been having certain flies against that same song wait. Is also not surprising others in the opposition minds present that there is also a very unique for a decisive character the person was effectively and that the Philippines Alliance with the United States which has been there for a 100 years by abrogating unilaterally and perfunctory the visiting forces agreement so with that kind of president that kind of context im going to talk about absolute rule of law is a big fancy ball and what we should talk about these vital whereby some think the law is actually lection dangerous who authored by. The president just had to have had a particularly good how yeah it was agreed that we are now financing democracy. I dont think we agree i agree that we have a fledgling democracy we give people power not only to the middle east but the rest of the world and not only that our jurisprudence in free speech and in the freedom of the press is very well established regardless of who the leader is that judas prevents remains and that is why my very disparate action of is always very against my liberal but it is not as if the what has me up out of respect to speaking your mind is i waited for you to defend their statement but i think that the present the rule of law in the philippines will prevail and even if the sword and fire did as i said my prediction is because it is in the nature of prior restraint it will not prosper but i let me just ask you how i am in the government as i. And richard both said have used the same accusation about Foreign Ownership against the news website rappler which in 2800 had its license revoked and that decision is under appeal now when you look at the things that have been happening over the last few years over the last 3 years that president going to tend to has been in power it doesnt really show a positive image i mean the media seems to be under pressure in the philippines how how do you explain this well dont be confused because the case of a. B. S. To be is different from proper in the 1st place of the a. B. S. To be. Depositary instrument was approved by the f. C. C. And rappers was not and the reason being in the case of property in the philippines as he said that rapper game foreigners control particularly on the issue of whether or not to continue with the business which is tantamount to control and therefore violative of the philippine constitution saying that the Media Business can only on by a filipino see this as and that is why again my fearless prediction is although this was used as a ground by the office of the solicitor general it will not prosper precisely because then the same Abusive Agency that rule that property by the because it was shut up prove the issuance of this deposit that the instrument and therefore parents with their the burden of proof of regularity or the fact that the admission. By the way if most authorized and most competent in these matters have said that there is nobody there is was no violation of the constitution so you seem to say that due process will be followed by congress and the Supreme Court. Do you agree with that do you think the Supreme Court justices will indeed follow due process in this case of a. B. S. Well we have to ask ourselves who controls the Supreme Court right now of course people may say. Its a wild imagination but whether or not the case will prosper it is still a form of harassment intimidation against me yeah thats the bottom line money r. S. I. Mentions the sort of im up less and our heads and the culture of the city there we need to remember that what is. There a b s e b n and even the philippine daily white or i the stress of a Chilling Effect on the other his aid organizations and its played for me this question a lot because during my should all media organizations were harassed and the only thats all media or mostly the press were. Some object where you sponsor censorship but he still it would show that they are shit this press that i mean yeah so you dont you know other words you dont grasp all the media you just an example of a handful of them and one of them is a. B. S. E and right now there are dangerous consequences being made by that there is very house the House Speaker alan. Whenever he says that even g m a fight would be best again because they allegedly also have the artist or feel it in the b. B. C. And again we need all of these things because even. Believe in Stock Exchange defines the arts us not being among the ownership and that these are just simply investing in so many. Missing of the facts as well as the free me ok by the doctor would otherwise everyone just why we are up in arms looking join a list of media where various that will likely explain why every day where always a. B. S. E the. Ground when you say when you say people at opp in arms let me just ask you this i mean most polls have shown that the president s policies are very popular with filipinos his war on drugs remain popular with filipinos and hes a public not to believe the media so is he winning this battle of Public Opinion when it comes to the media. Ok osiris surveys are concerned me to look at it like in the us its true that he enjoys Popular Support i must ask in that case whenever. I just drink the 1st on the bus in the philippines the them off this is 6 years its been the 1st to be yourself or else youll still enjoy benefit the high popularity and besides when we look at the band its all part of the region surf uncertain definitely they enjoy probably not at the start. If there had more than 90 percent popularity of eating during the 1st few years of the 3rd strike so its not as if this is something new ok the things i mean i have let me bring in rachel im going to get you i think thats i think transitional ok i think thats estimates michael how do you stand by how he wanted to have a nice jazzy i mean its an area that they have their heavy standby of come to in just a minute let me just bring in richard back to a conversation rich and detach a has been president for 3 years now in the philippines where does this case and the other against the media leave freedom of speech in the philippines is it headed towards an even you know more dangerous path well i mean 1st of all i think we have that up you do credit to the times i mean you finally have a ruling or verdict on them again than a massacre which has been lingering there for quite some time on the cape so there are some positive developments there and lets not forget one of the reasons why the philippines was considered of one of the most dangerous places were journalists in the past what the 1000000 down in mass for a decade ago so we havent really learned that 2nd yes there are concerns about shooting a prank on the media but you know if someone has been you know wide range of countries from new york where you have to try and up work with the middle east and also in the west i can say to the philippines over all if you look at the torah law in the major newspapers and meet Major Media Networks often that i work with are you. I dont see any sign of censorship by the bigger ones the more prominent ones and if its even more critical statement they got pregnant there is quite problematic rust in the media so while i think there are concerns the philippines is going the wrong direction or that there could be a chilling pick. For a line of major newspapers concerned i still do not see that but that doesnt mean that we should not worry about anything present a theory that is popular is still the commander in chief yet very strong support and i think we should also not forget not only in the Mainstream Media but also in social media in alternative media how the supporters of the president are very aggressive barrister and there you know at this. Series you know the attack on Mainstream Media or personalities from its media is not confined on the court of law but with the extent of the altering media so were talking about a much more hybrid much really quick and i think great situation rather than black and white paper sheep versus for the market situation all right harry your thoughts now you had quite a few things you wanted to add to what richard and i need to have been saying go ahead. Well i was one of those who are prosecuted successfully the killers of 30 jarvis in the machine that i massacre i think that proves that we have a working legal system its not perfect it took 10 years to convict it would have taken a shorter period of time ive been working with join the lists and not Media Players for my entire career 21 years so far practice as a media lawyer and i can tell you that were as it stands that you this presence in the philippines recognizes completely freedom of the press governments may try to suppress it but the courts will never. Uphold any infringement on freedom of the press i think we have one of the best to disprove denson freedom of the press we have to let piece of a World Community we have us believe in dreams just for. Its in the philly in the u. N. Committee in human rights to. Assist join the list in trouble in vietnam in malaysia in thailand and the Inter