SOME journalists in Bacolod City are joining the nationwide protest today dubbed as “Black Friday for Press Freedom.”
Led by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP)-Bacolod Chapter, the local media, clad in black shirts, will troop to the Fountain of Justice around 6 p.m.
They will hold noise barrage and light candles, as they call on the government to uphold the press freedom.
Also joining the rally are campus journalists, students, and various groups.
Earlier, the Securities and Exchange Commission revoked the registration of Manila-based news website Rappler due to its alleged foreign ownership, which was vehemently denied by the media company.
NUJP-Bacolod expressed its outrage on the decision, claiming that the move of the government is clear harassment and intimidation to the media.
Any attempt to attack the media is also an attack to the freedom of the press, the group added.
Negros Press Club, in a statement, said the “SEC decision creates a chilling effect for Philippine media that we will face suppression if we do not bow down to government's whims and caprices.”
“We stand by the purpose of which the media exist – to tell the truth at all cost. As a basic right, suppression of the press and the freedom of expression is a violation of human rights enshrined and protected in our Constitution,” the statement said. (MPE)