OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF THE BOHOL TRIBUNE ON THE BOHOL TRI-MEDIA ASSOCIATION’S PRESS RELEASE ENTITLED “IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN”
The BOHOL TRIBUNE Editorial Board wishes to convey to the public that its members, who are likewise members of the Bohol Tri-Media Association, were not part of the deliberation for the drafting and approval of the Press Release entitled “IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN.” The members of the Editorial Board were neither notified of any meeting to come up with the said press release nor were they consulted of the plan to release a statement on the pending case of Inciting to Sedition filed by Gov. Arthur C. Yap against three prominent personalities.
We firmly believe in the principle of collegiality which must underpin every decision of a collegial body such as the Bohol Tri-Media Association. While we commiserate the inclusion of some of our peers in the complaint, we take exception to the Press Release of the Association due to lack of notice, consultation, and deliberation as far as our end is concerned. Moreover, since the case is now undergoing evaluation by the investigating prosecutor, we believe that the process should not be interfered with by a flurry of public opinions dealing with the merits of the case that may tend to unduly influence its outcome.
Lest we be misunderstood, we believe that it is the sacred duty of the State and all government officers and employees to protect the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press. As we wield the power of the pen fully aware of the protection provided by no less than the 1987 Philippine Constitution and given recognition as a fundamental human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we exercise our freedoms cognizant of the fact that it is never absolute and that we must exercise it within its defined constitutional boundaries, two of these are libel and seditious speech. To our mind, the exercise of these freedoms comes with an equal burden of responsible exercise of these rights.
While we respect the different opinions of our peers on the issue, we also believe that it is a matter of our right to take exception and to refuse attribution as members of the Association to the said Press Release based on the foregoing reasons.
When the Bohol Tribune was still enduring birthing pains, our existence was never threatened by any government official. It is sad to note that attempts to stomp us out of existence did not come from government officials who the power of our pen might have threatened. It came from our peers who frowned upon free competition and moved heaven and earth to snatch our existence from its cradle. But we did not cry foul. We faced the complaints with dignified silence.We dealt with the issues fairly and squarely, not in the bar of public opinion, but in the august halls of our courts. We did not ask the public to rally behind us. Our only weapon is law and logic, as we are confident that we did nothing wrong.
Based on our firsthand experience, the justice system works. And it works well when not burdened with public opinion.