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SPECIAL REPORT: Talents, or those who are not considered “regular” employees by the GMA 7 management, despite years of service, do not receive their 13th month pay, a mandatory benefit under the Labor Code.
Related story| New contract, same ‘exploitative’ terms
Sidebar | Talent? | How can you be considered a regular employee
We cannot settle for a law that will make truth telling even more difficult: a bad law is worse than no law at all.
“The people demand a genuine FOI law, and those who wish to thwart this are on the defensive in light of the corruption, anomalies, human rights abuses and injustices previously covered up due to information restrictions.”
“Our justices may look into the possibility of reviewing and revising the rules of court.” – Prima Quinsayas, lawyer of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists
“Deprive us not of justice.” – Edita Tiamzon, wife of UNTV cameraman Daniel Tiamzon
RELATED STORY: Reforms needed to solve Ampatuan massacre case, other media killings
SLIDESHOW: 5th year of Ampatuan massacre | Calls for justice reverberate
The Ampatuan Massacre is a key issue in the Filipino people’s struggle against the culture of impunity that has afflicted the country for so long. A decision favourable to the masterminds and killers will encourage more killings of and human rights violations against journalists, activists, and other sectors.
Members of the End Impunity Alliance, AlterMidya, a national network of alternative media outfits and the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication will hold a protest march around the university’s academic oval on Nov. 21.
“Aquino is wrong in saying that the killings are not work-related. These journalists were killed for their work, not because of a love triangle or any other reason.” – Luis Teodoro
“Rather than demonstrating the government’s sincerity in seeing the trial to a credible conclusion, the ban [on media coverage] provokes suspicions that concealing vital information from the public is in progress.” – Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists
“Ninety-nine percent of the guidelines during strikes expressly provide what the workers are prohibited to do. There is no corresponding magnitude of responsibility that refers to how the management should behave when a strike is declared.”
Whenever allowances were delayed or the reality of scarce resources hit them, Edita Burgos said one of the staff would shout, “Para sa Bayan!” (For the Motherland!) and all of them would continue working.
Pledging to continue the progressive tradition of alternative journalism, media groups banded together to better serve as “voices of the people.”
Related story | Then and now | Marcos-era mosquito press shares lessons with new breed of alternative media
“At the onset, HB 4807 will create a chilling effect on media and would especially affect citizen journalism particularly those who are trying to expose graft and corruption in government.” – Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate
Related story: Journalists say ‘privacy’ bill dangerous to press freedom
“In an era where technology is quickly breaking down the obstacles that hamper the flow of information and expression, which are the bedrock of democracy, HB 4807 could return us to the dark ages and worse, be used as a weapon of suppression and repression.” – NUJP
“We don’t think the killings will stop unless the Aquino government takes necessary steps to punish the killers and masterminds.” -- Luis Teodoro, CMFR
“They [foreign investors] would invest here not to develop Philippine media or to enlighten Filipinos but to gain profits.” – Dean Luis Teodoro
“The questioned law has a particularly chilling effect on online journalism. These days, not only will a journalist’s work be published using traditional media, but it will be made available on the internet.” – media groups
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