MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday asked his supporters to stop threatening journalists even when they do not agree with what they read or see in news reports.
"Itong mga international writers, every network meron ‘yan silang correspondents, every one. Not necessarily a foreigner but a resident correspondent and they are now the subject, I was told, of several threats," he said in a speech in Camp Vicente Alagar in Cagayan de Oro.
[These international writers, every network has correspondents, every one. Not necessarily a foreigner but a resident correspondent and they are now the subject, I was told, of several threats.]
He added that while he appreciates the support he receives, it is wrong to threaten people.
"We should not also threaten people because hindi na sila makapag-sulat ng totoo," Duterte said.
[We should not also threaten people because then they will not be able to write the truth.]
Malacañang has also called on supporters of Duterte to stop using social media and text messages to attack Senator Leila de Lima and journalists.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the the President's supporters should be responsible.
"Hindi po maganda iyung we're threatening our own. Siyempre, senador natin si Senator De Lima.
[Let us be responsible with our text messages. It not good that we’re threatening our own. Of course, Senator De Lima is a senator.] She's an elected official of our land," Andanar told reporters.
"Huwag po tayong magsakitan ng mga pino-post natin sa social media. Lalong lalo na po, iwasan nating i-threaten ang mga kasamahan natin sa media [Let us not hurt each other with what we post on social media. Let us not threaten our partners in the media]," said Andanar, a former television anchor.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), has asked the Malacañang to investigate the attacks against reporters Gretchen Malalad and Al-Jazeera correspondent Jamela Alindogan-Caudron.
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