Manila (AsiaNews) Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan, former president of the Philippine Bishops' Conference, has criticized the State Department of Justice for threatening television network ABC with possible criminal charges for disseminating "false news or information" of the results of the recently concluded elections. The television company is directly being accused of having publisized the results of a preliminary count of votes, showing actor Fernando Poe Jr. to be the victor.
Archbishop Cruz sent a statement to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) media office today, stating: "It is dangerous to hide the truth. It is a big mistake to curtail rightful media freedom. It is costly to suppress media outlets." According to Archbishop Cruz, media is either free or not, there is no middle ground. Controlling or gagging the media is the first sign that comes from an emerging authoritarian, even dictatorial form of government, he said. Media is suppose to publish the truth, and not falsehood. If it breaks away from truth and allows itself to be used by falsehood, media would negate its own intrinsic purpose to society. In conclusion, the Archbishop praised the television network for its work in bringing out the truth, despite the odds it is facing from those in power. (S.E.)
