News site Bulatlat questions anti-communist task force’s presence in court hearing
A NEWS website on Thursday said there are obvious state efforts to silence alternative forms of media after lawyers from the country’s anti-communist task force represented the national security adviser in a lawsuit seeking to nullify a state order blocking 27 online sites.
“This (presence of task force) goes to prove that the blocking of Bulatlat and 26 other websites are linked to the government’s reckless red-tagging,” Ronalyn V. Olea, Bulatlat editor-in-chief, told BusinessWorld in a Telegram message.
The anti-communist task force’s media bureau did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
The national security adviser sits as vice chair of the task force.
In July last year, the government sought to silence journalists critical of the administration by shutting down the websites of Bulatlat and Pinoy Weekly, two alternative press publications.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued an order in June to block 26 websites that it claimed had links to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front.
Bulatlat sued the telecommunication regulator a month later and sought an injunction against its order.
The NTC order was issued upon the request of former National Security Advisor Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr.
The National Security Council sought to close these two outlets because of their alleged links to communist insurgency, a charge the editors and journalists denied.
A Quezon City trial court in August stopped the government from blocking access to Bulatlat’s website, saying it violated press freedom.
The case is being handled by a new judge after the NTC asked Presiding Judge Dolly Rose Bolante-Prado to inhibit from the case for allegedly showing bias in favor of Bulatlat.
The state lawyers who appeared in court on Thursday were representing current National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año.
Ms. Olea said the court has yet to decide on the motions for substitutions filed by Mr. Esperon’s lawyers, who did not show up in court on Thursday.
The next hearing was set for Sept. 7. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
