KMU to Sen. Joker Arroyo : Don't lose your "anti-martial law" legacy

The militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) urged Senator Joker Arroyo to be careful with his words and actions as he slowly loses his "anti-martial law" legacy.

KMU Spokesperson Prestoline Suyat and a former two-term national president of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) said Sen. Arroyo's threat to hold Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) reporter Juliet Labog-Javellana in contempt for reporting on what took place in a Senate executive session as "pure media harassment" reminiscent of martial law days.

Suyat also finds it ironic if Sen. Arroyo will support Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's position to repeal or amend Republic Act 53, otherwise known as Sotto Law, that protects journalists from being compelled to reveal confidential sources.

" It will be very ironic if Senator. Arroyo a known human rights lawyer and defender during the dark days of martial law will side with martial law implementor and human rights violator Senator Enrile. If he asserts that Javellana reported was wrong, the proper way is to complain with proper authorities, particularly with the PDI editorial board or to any media organization of which she belongs and not to harass Javellana since it is tantamount of intimidating the media," Suyat explained.

Suyat also registered strongly that "attempts" to repeal or amend the Sotto Law, which safeguards the time-honored principle of protecting confidential sources will be dangerous steps of strengthening a widely-perceived "undeclared martial rule" that the country is in to.

" Senator Arroyo must come to his senses of why he and Sen. Enrile are having the same mindset especially now when human rights violations are rampant and that the country desperately needs the likes of freedom-fighters Senator Jose Diokno, Senator Claro M. Recto, Dean Armando Malay and others who courageously confronted tyrants and fascists in the past," Suyat said.

The PDI last Sunday published a story written by reporter Javellana quoting unnamed sources describing how Senator Joker Arroyo moved to block the testimony of former Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri regarding the controversial national broadband network deal during an executive session of the Senate.