A call for the passage of the proposed Media Workers’ Magna Carta was renewed at the Senate, citing the danger faced by journalists who were covering the Senate when gunfire erupted at the building on May 13.
A senator said the gunfire incident at the Senate building showed the risks that media workers continue to confront while performing their duty to inform the public, often with limited protection, modest pay and insufficient benefits.
The legislator, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, described the experience of reporters and camera operators caught in the commotion as a clear reminder of the need to strengthen safeguards for journalists, particularly those suddenly exposed to dangerous situations despite not being assigned to conflict or police beats.
“The journalists play a crucial role in revealing the truth about what happened during the shootout. Who did fire first?” he said in a radio interview.
He said journalists should have been allowed to properly document the incident, noting that media coverage could help establish whether security and law enforcement personnel followed protocols.
“That could serve as proof that the security, the law enforcement, if they really followed the protocol,” he said, adding that the presence of media could also deter armed individuals from escalating violence.
The senator said Senate beat reporters were not trained for shootout situations, making the incident particularly traumatic. He noted that some journalists were heard crying while delivering live updates as the incident unfolded.
“For instance, the Senate media are not accustomed to these kinds of shootouts. Certainly, it traumatized them,” the legislator said.
The incident prompted him to again press for Senate Bill No. 249, or the proposed “Magna Carta for Workers in the Media and News Industry Act.” The bill seeks to provide media workers with standardized minimum pay, overtime compensation, night shift differential, security of tenure, hazard allowance, insurance coverage and other benefits.
The proposal goes beyond financial benefits, stressing that it recognizes the dignity, rights and risks of journalists who work on the frontlines of public information and press freedom.
“The May 13 incident in the Senate which threatened the safety of Filipino reporters is only one of the daily struggles they face,” the solon said. “Let us give them the compensation and support that they are entitled to.”