Security officials assure media not target of anti-terror law

By Ronron
July 5, 2007

Security officials assured on Thursday that the media is not a target of the Anti-Terrorism Law that will take effect in the middle of this month.

The clarification was made by Anti-Terrorism Task Force spokesman Ricardo Blancaflor and military chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. after Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez was quoted to have hinted about media men being placed on surveillance under said law, officially known as the Human Security Act of 2007, if they have ties with suspected terrorists.

“The media is not the target (of the law). There will be no wanton disregard for rights… The law is intended for terrorists, ant not for specific groups, especially the media. Why would we wiretap you?” Esperon told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.

Blancaflor, in a phone interview, said the media may only be wiretapped if a court sanctions it, believing there is strong evidence of an alliance with suspected terrorists, particularly an overt act of terrorism.

But if the relationship is only limited to the professional job of a journalist, then any surveillance is not authorized by the law, he said.

“This (surveillance) exceptions on journalists and sources is very accurate because that is precisely what we want to protect, the freedom of expression and freedom of the press,” Blancaflor told Defense reporters.

Blancaflor said the exception is contained in Section 7 of the law, which also includes doctors and their patients, and lawyers and their clients.

“Definitely, the Human Security Act is really a law on human rights,” he stressed.

Blancaflor assured that media personalities may not even be forced under the law to disclose the whereabouts of suspected terrorists they interview.

“That will be covered by other laws on disclosure. That is no longer within our territory,” he said.

Asked if he knows any media personality at the moment who may have links with terrorists, Blancaflor said there is none./DMS