CMFR Staff, Author at CMFR

A failure to celebrate

IT WAS not just the cloudy morning and last night’s rain which left our small flag hanging limp at the gate. As with so many things during the pandemic,... Read more

Media failed to flag HB 78: Semantics flouts Constitution

SHOULD HOUSE Bill 78 become law, it will amend the 84-year old Public Service Act to strictly define and differentiate between “public service” and “public utility.” The 1987 Constitution... Read more

We will not surrender our freedoms

WE ARE the community of independent Filipino journalists. We are the descendants of Lopez Jaena, of Del Pilar, of Rizal, of Leona Florentino, the sons and daughters of Don... Read more

Despite Duterte Freedom of Information EO: Access to information narrows during pandemic

CHEERS to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) for looking into how access to government-held information has become more difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Karol Ilagan’s “Quarantine Curbs... Read more

Print, TV reports miss the point: The truth about the anti-terror bill is not a matter of opinion

THE PRESS was obviously caught off-guard by the speed with which House Bill (HB) 6875, or the Anti-Terrorism Bill, went through three readings. Approved on May 29 by the... Read more

Media catching on: Government still confused about “mass” testing

GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSONS have among their responsibilities that of projecting a good image of the administration and its officials, primarily the chief executive. But spokespersons who sacrifice clarity and truth... Read more

Making the uncounted count: ABS-CBN looks beyond official COVID death toll

THE DEPARTMENT of Health updates the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, as well as recoveries and deaths daily. Cases in the Philippines have breached the 15,000 mark and continue... Read more

PWDs in media: Overlooked and left out

LIKE MANY poor Filipinos, persons with disabilities (PWD) are among the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They, like everyone else, have suffered the brunt of the inefficiency and... Read more

Criminalizing criticism: More hardships for suffering public

THE INHUMANE treatment of people violating quarantine protocols has exposed the Philippine National Police (PNP) as an agency without heart. (See monitor: “Editorials assail abuses during lockdown”) The administration... Read more

Mass testing as policy: Still no plan in sight

AS THE government eases restrictions to start up the economy, cash-strapped Filipinos are eager to return to work. On May 16, modified quarantine conditions were set for some areas,... Read more