Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 11) – Two TV station hosts asked the help of the Supreme Court to release them from congressional detention on or before Dec. 15.
“Tunay pong makapangyarihan ang Kongreso. Tunay pong may kapangyarihan magpa-aresto na walang definite period of time pero meron pong mas makapangyarihan sa mga congressman at congresswomen, ‘yan po ang Saligang Batas,” their lawyer Harry Roque said.
[Translation: It is true that the Congress is powerful. It is true they are powerful enough to make an arrest even without an indefinite period of time, but there is something more powerful than congressmen and congresswomen, that is the Supreme Court.]
Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) anchors Jeffrey Celiz and Lorraine Marie Badoy said they were deprived of their right to due process of law.
The House committee on legislative franchises cited Celiz and Badoy in contempt for acting in a disrespectful manner and refusing to answer relevant questions during an inquiry.
Roque said the issue whether Badoy’s answers were confusing or inconsistent is a matter of opinion.
He added the inconsistent or incomplete answers of a witness in the course of his or her testimony does not conclusively establish that the person was evasive.
\”Petitioner Badoy should have been given the opportunity to explain her side, as she was attempting to do while the Respondent Committee was discussing the motion to cite her in contempt,\” their petition read.
As for Celiz, Roque the host had no opportunity to explain why his invocation of the Shield Law should be considered as \”refusal to answer any relevant inquiry.\”
Petitioners said their detention is an unlawful punishment for the comments that they made in their TV program.
\”The Committee members were too eager to punish the Petitioners for their comments that the members failed to observe their own rules and procedures, and failed to accord the Petitioners their right to due process,\” they noted.
Roque said the shield law covers journalist, commentator, or media practitioner, as long as he or she is \”duly recognized or accredited\” by an outlet that publishes or broadcasts news or commentaries, should be covered by law.
Otherwise known as Sotto Law, Republic Act 53 exempts a publisher, editor or reporter of any publication from revealing the source of public news or information obtained in confidence.
Roque said the House committee’s act of detaining Celiz and Badoy and the threat of revoking the legislative franchise of SMNI over comments in a TV program “have very serious repercussions on the right to freedom of expression and of the press not only of the petitioners or SMNI, but of all other media practitioners.”
Appeal for ‘humanitarian consideration’
Celiz, in a letter to the House panel dated Dec. 11, appealed for \” humanitarian consideration\” in its contempt citation against him.
\”My appeal is anchored on the request to sincerely consider the deteriorating health condition/s of my 77-year old mother as she is deeply worried of my physical detention to the point that she refuses to eat since four days ago,\” Celiz wrote.
After his contempt citation, both SMNI hosts went on a hunger strike to protest their detention.
He apologized for his misbehavior, which he described as “uncalled for and unbecoming,” and his failure to vet information on Speaker Martin Romualdez’ travel spending.
