The media ignored govt authorities' orders for them to vacate Manila Pen when they were about to storm the place and arrest Trillanes, Guingona, Labayen, Tobias... Media men were detained for obstruction of justice, aiding and abetting criminals... At least one rebel escaped camouflaging himself as a press man. Some media guys, during the "siege," were also exhorting people to join the rebellion.
Tama ba ang paghawak nito ng gobierno? Tama ba ang ginawa ng media?
While there may have been some problems, I think law enforcement and the military handled the Manila Pen incident very well. Everyone had to be detained initially, if only just for identification purposes. I think the press is the one that ought to be condemned for their behavior, ignoring the lawful orders of the government, and exposing our soldiers and policemen to further danger and adding to the confusion in the scene leading to the escape of a few rebels.
Press freedom and the right of the public to information is not absolute. It is not an excuse to break the law.
Excellent talaga ang coverage ng media sa Manila Pen. Pero tama si Sirena: Press freedom and the right of the public to information is not absolute. Other people have rights, too, and the media cannot trample on the rights of others under the guise of press freedom.
There was some mention in the papers re the failure of police to follow the Miranda rule. I'm not quite sure if the Miranda rule applies there. I think they were initially brought in not as suspects, but mainly for identification and processing purposes. But I am not aware of all the facts nor am I an attorney, so I could be wrong about that.
