The Philippine House of Representatives seem to be more eager to pass the so called “Anti-Selfie” bill rather than the Freedom of Information bill. A much criticized House Bill 4807 or the Protection against Personal Intrusion Act is now up for 3rd reading in plenary.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said, “HB 4807 will create a chilling effect on media and would especially affect citizen journalism. It would punish with civil suit taking photos,video or even audio recording anything claimed as a personal/ family matter even of public officials and personalities.”
Jose Torres Jr., board member of the Photojournalists’ Center of the Philippines (PCP), Inc., said, “It would seem that people from the media and journalists can be targets of the proposed measure. Worthy of being emphasized is the phrase ‘with intent to gain or profit therefrom.’ In case a complaint is filed in court against a photojournalist, can lack of intent to gain be used as defense?
“It must be clearly defined what can be classified for ‘gain’ or ‘profit.’ News outfits – newspapers, magazines, television, online publications, radio, and news wire agencies – are basically for profit organizations. There must be clear provisions that specify that news gathering must be exempted from this section,”
In contrast, the Freedom of Information Bill has been sitting in congress for too long. The FOI bill will help promote transparency in all government transactions but hasn’t gained much traction. Even President Noynoy Aquino seem to be uninterested in getting the FOI bill prioritized.