N.B. – A journalism student from the UP College of Mass Communication emailed these questions on media under the administration of leading Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte (who wants to be addressed as “Mayor of the Philippines”). I answered these questions last May 16 (or exactly a week after the national and local elections) and these obviously do not take into account more recent developments. Nevertheless, the points raised here are still timely, hence my decision to post.
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of a Duterte presidency?
Duterte claims to be left-leaning so expectations are high that his policies and programs would be a substantial departure from the neoliberal policies of the past administrations. However, the draft eight-point economic program points to more of the same as far as adherence to globalization is concerned. Of course, the concern that his administration would usher in wanton human rights violations has historical basis as one only needs to reflect on what the so-called Davao Death Squad has done in Davao City.
There were fears that media might be repressed during his term, especially since cases of bullying and threats to media have been reported. Do you think the media has to fear the new administration? Do you think Duterte will ‘repress’ the media? In what way do you think, if any, will the media be repressed?
It remains to be seen if Duterte would muster enough political will to repeal repressive media-related laws like the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, the Human Security Act of 2007 and even the Campus Journalism Act of 1991. All presidential candidates, including Duterte, have miserably failed to present a Media Agenda during the campaign. This is the reason why it cannot be ascertained if Duterte would end up repressing the media as his policy pronouncements are lacking in this regard.
Duterte mentioned that he will pushed the FOI through an Executive Order. Is an EO enough? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having an EO for FOI rather than a law?
An executive order has its limits in terms of pushing for an authentic FOI (as articulated by UP CMC in a statement three years ago). For example, an EO cannot be retroactive. One can only hope that this EO will provide a sunshine clause and a special provision for expeditious granting of information to journalists and researchers. Then again, a sunshine clause may be close to impossible given the six-year term limit of the executive branch.
What changes do you think will the new administration bring to the media?
Given the lack of a Media Agenda of all presidential candidates including Duterte, it would be hard to analyze the prospects of press freedom and the overall media environment under a Duterte presidency.
Will media killings be given attention under his administration? Do you think cases may be resolved?
If human rights violations would become rampant, then the possibility of intensified media killings would also be high. It remains to be seen if there will ever be a clear resolution to the cases of human rights violations.
How do you picture the media under his administration?
Media would still be expected to go about their work in shaping public opinion. For the dominant media, they would still be saddled by competing interests of owners, gatekeepers and advertisers. The alternative media, on the other hand, would still provide a progressive analysis of issues. Whether or not the administration would repress them remains to be seen, though we all hope that it would not happen. Again, the lack of a Media Agenda prevents us from analyzing the issue more deeply and scientifically.