Tulfo pushes stronger protection for journalists after senate incident

National

THE chaos sparked by the gunfight inside the Senate on May 13 has put renewed focus on the risks faced by journalists, prompting Senator Erwin Tulfo to push once again for a long-delayed Media Workers’ Magna Carta.

The renewed appeal comes after reporters covering the incident inside the Senate of the Philippines were caught in a tense and alarming situation that Tulfo said exposed serious gaps in press safety protocols.

Tulfo criticized what he described as restrictions on media access during the incident, arguing that journalists should have been allowed to document events as they unfolded to ensure transparency in the response of authorities.

He said that press coverage could have helped verify whether security protocols were properly followed, stressing the importance of footage from the scene.

“The authorities present at the scene should have allowed the reporters, cameramen, to cover the premises,” Tulfo said in a radio interview quoted by Philsrar, saying that footage from the press could have served “as a proof that the security, the law enforcement, if they really followed the protocol.”

He also argued that media presence can sometimes act as a deterrent in volatile situations, suggesting that individuals may think twice before escalating violence when they know they are being recorded.

Beyond the issue of access, Tulfo pointed to the vulnerability of Senate beat reporters, noting that they are not trained for armed confrontations or crisis response situations.

He said the incident left many journalists visibly shaken and distressed while continuing their live coverage, with some struggling emotionally due to the intensity of the situation and the immediate danger they faced.

The incident has further strengthened Tulfo’s push for Senate Bill No. 249, or the “Magna Carta for Workers in the Media and News Industry Act,” which seeks to institutionalize protections including minimum pay standards, hazard pay, job security, and insurance coverage for media workers.

He said the proposal is intended to address what he views as long-standing gaps in protection and benefits for journalists, particularly those assigned to high-risk beats, emphasizing the need to formally recognize their rights, dignity, and frontline role in safeguarding press freedom.

Rather than treating the measure as purely an economic reform, Tulfo stressed that it is meant to affirm the broader value and dignity of journalists’ work, especially as they operate in high-risk environments while helping uphold press freedom.(MyTVCebu)