Newspapers, web-only news sites bahala kayo! Cayetano adamant TV, radio must toe gov’t line

Speaker Alan Cayetano says the government can live with any reports newspapers, tabloids, and web-only news sites dish out.

But Cayetano has made it it clear that the government will not tolerate any “biased” news from television and radio stations that must answer to their franchise commitments.

“Sa print at sa social media, bahala kayo because karapatan nyo yan, pero sa radyo at TV, especially during times of election, kasama sa election code yan, at kasama yan sa prangkisa nyo, you cannot be partisan,” said Cayetano.

“You can hit, you can hit very hard but you cannot be partisan,” he added.

Cayetano has accused ABS-CBN of playing “kingmaker” in national elections from 2004 to 2016 and this was one of the reasons he did not favor the grant of a franchise to ABS-CBN.

“May chilling effect ito sa legitimate free press and media? Mali! May chilling effect ito doon sa umaabuso ng sistema. Bakit po ang Channel 5 at Channel 7, walang problema sa pagpasa ng kanilang prangkisa?” he said.

“In my case, mas maraming tuligsa sa akin na nanggagaling sa DZBB kaysa sa DZMM? Kung freedom of expression lang ang usapan, mas maraming tumitira sa akin sa DZBB, GMA 7. Pero bakit po I respect them?

Itinuturing ko pa ring kaibigan? Paghumingi ng interview nagpapa-interview pa rin ako,” he added.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)