Laguna journalists suppressed: Video coverage in city council sessions barred

In a move echoing the national government’s suppression of media, the city council barred video coverage of its meetings and sessions in San Pablo, Laguna, located around 75 kilometers south of Manila.

In a resolution dated 21 February 2006, the San Pablo City Council, headed by Vice-mayor Lauro Vidal, banned the “video coverage inside the session hall during the regular and special sessions of the Sangguniang Panlunsod (City Council)… as well as during its committee meetings and hearings, to ensure a more efficient and non-biased presentation of discussions to the general public through the tri-media.”

According the said resolution, only the local government’s City Information Office would be given the “sole authority to provide video coverage” of the council meetings.

It would be the first time that the local government has sought to limit the coverage of journalists. Prior to the resolution, two cable television stations operating in San Pablo – Telmarc and Celestron – regularly covered the council’s sessions and public hearings.

In fact, despite the local media’s consistent criticism of the past administrations, no efforts were made by the local government in the past, said Dodie Banzuela, associate publisher of newspaper Derecho Balita (Straight News).

Banzuela believes that the banning of the coverage could have stemmed from the local media’s coverage of the council voting in the issues of land-buying and liquidation of government funds.

Prior to the said resolution, several media entities in San Pablo have asked the government to give local journalists guidelines in covering the council sessions.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility couldn’t reach Vidal for his comments and reactions.

“Video coverage is now banned. If we let this (resolution) just pass by, we would wake up sooner or later, expecting a ban on print media coverage as well,” Banzuela said.

He added, “they (city council) are worse than Malacañang and Congress, both of which have not made efforts to monopolize coverage,” Banzuela retorted. “It seems that the council majority are hiding something away from the local media’s eyes.”

Deretso and other local media entities are planning to question to legality of the said resolution in the court. ###

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