Nakiisa ang Malacañang kay National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose na nagsasabing buhay ang press freedom sa bansa sa ilalim ng administrasyong Duterte at hindi umano sampal sa gobyerno ang pagkapanalo ni Maria Ressa ng Nobel Peace Prize.
Ginawa ni Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque ang pahayag matapos magpasya ang Norwegian Nobel Committee na igawad ang 2021 Nobel Peace Prize kina Ressa at Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov.
Sa press briefing ni Roque ngayong Lunes, Oktubre 11, aniya hindi sampal sa Malacañang ang pagkapanalo ni Ressa.
“Certainly not. It is not a slap on the government,” aniya.
VP Sara, tahasang iginiit na hindi niya binoto si Romuadlez
“There is no slap there because as everyone knows, no one has ever been censored in the Philippines,” dagdag pa niya.
Matatandaang pinupuna si Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa pag-atake nito sa mga news organizations na nagiging kritikal umano sa administrasyon, katulad na lamang ng broadcast giant na ABS-CBN. Pinagbawalan din nito ang Rappler na mag-cover ng presidential events.
Sinabi ni Roque na hindi galing sa Executive Branch ang direktiba ng hindi pag-renew ng prangkisa ng ABS-CBN.
“You cannot blame Congress for not renewing the franchise of ABS-CBN because that is one of their powers,” aniya.
“That is not an order emanating from the Executive, nor is it a matter within the jurisdiction of the Executive,” dagdag pa niya.
Sumang-ayon si Roque sa Facebook post ni F. Sionil Jose tungkol sa pagkapanalo ni Ressa at sinabing buhay ang press freedom sa Pilipinas.
“Let’s say Malacañang agrees with our National Artist,” aniya.
Ayon sa Facebook post ni Jose, hindi karapat-dapat si Ressa sa Nobel Peace Prize at sinabing “the Philippine press is alive and well” ay hindi dahil sa kanya.
“I have criticized Duterte but not on press freedom. The Philippine press is alive and well not because of Maria Ressa. No writer is in jail. There is no censorship. Duterte hasn’t closed a single newspaper or radio station,” ani Jose.“The real test for journalists was made during the Marcos dictatorship when he imposed censorship, closed all media, and jailed journalists,” dagdag pa niya.
