REVIEW the Constitution.

This was Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s advice yesterday to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez who has told media practitioners not to interfere in legitimate police and military operations on the pain of sanctions.

Lacson rejected Gonzalez’ statement that the reminder stemmed from a supposed destabilization attempt scheduled for January 22.

"Secretary Gonzalez should review his Constitution. I am not aware of any law, regulation or policy that can rise above the principle of freedom of expression," he said.

Gonzalez on Friday said he issued the one-page advisory to serve as a formal "reminder" to media men and press organizations. He said it was not meant to send a chilling effect to the media, although he said violations would be met with obstruction of justice charges, among others.

On Saturday, reports quoted Gonzalez as saying he issued the media advisory after government uncovered a new plot against the Arroyo administration. The destabilization plot will reportedly be carried out during a mass action set for January 22 or between January 17 and 22.

The advisory was issued more than a month after the Manila Peninsula hotel standoff led by Oakwood mutiny leader Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

About 50 media men covering the incident, their hands tied with plastic thongs, were hauled to the Metro Manila police headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig after Trillanes and his group surrendered to police authorities.

National security adviser Norberto Gonzales defended the advisory.

"Let’s take it not as a cause or threat to human rights but to protect democracy. We are for the protection of democracy," he said as the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged government to withdraw the directive.

But Gonzales, Cabinet secretary Ricardo Saludo, and Cerge Remonde, chief of the presidential management staff, said Gonzalez’ media advisory was never presented to the Cabinet.

Saludo said there was a Cabinet agreement "to draft guidelines for the safety of people including media in police, military or emergency operations but no draft has been shown to the Cabinet."

Lorelei Fajardo, deputy presidential spokesman, said: "Secretary Gonzalez simply warned of destabilization and cautioned media on the proper rules of engagement and their role in reporting news events. We do not wish to see a repeat of the Pen incident, where media was unnecessarily inconvenienced and affected by the assault on the mutineers."

She acknowledged the concerns aired by CPJ but said government is in no way interfering with the media. Neither has it instituted any policy that will impinge on press freedom, she said.

The CPJ asked government to withdraw the guideline which it said was never observed in the past despite previous "dangerous emergencies."

"One wonders what sort of effect this directive would have had on reporters covering the dramatic events which ousted the Marcos regime and paved the way for what were supposed to be more democratic governments," said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia coordinator. – Jocelyn Montemayor