BY WENDELL VIGILIA

THE House leadership’s dialogue with media representatives collapsed yesterday when congressmen rejected the journalists’ call to junk the right of reply bill which they said is a ploy to curtail press freedom.

"The talks bogged down because the various media organizations maintained a very strong stance for the scrapping of the bill," said Benny Antiporda, president of the National Press Club.

Reporters from various organizations, including those covering the House, wore black shirts saying "no to reply bill!" after a brief picket at the House gates.

Rep. Monico Puentevella (Lakas, Bacolod), the measure’s principal author, said the House will have to vote on the issue and media men can go to the Supreme Court if it becomes law.

Puentevella said they will hold another caucus to find out the congressmen’s sentiment on the measure.

Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Lakas, Manila), chair of the House committee on information, said the House "cannot sit on the right of reply bill."

The House and Senate versions of the right to reply bill compel media outfits, under threat of fine, to provide equal space and prominence to persons who are subject of negative reports.

Media groups are saying there is no need for the measure because they are already imposing upon themselves the duty to accommodate replies.

The House is also moving to approve a bill increasing the fine on journalists found guilty of libel. The bill retains the penalty of imprisonment.

The committee on revision of laws chaired by Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao (NPC, Isabela) has approved the consolidated measure (House Bill 5760) which he authored along with Raul Gonzalez Jr. (Lakas, Iloilo), and Rufus Rodriguez (PMP, Cagayan de Oro).

Speaker Prospero Nograles told media practitioners during the consultation that withdrawing the bill is most unlikely.

Nograles said the media should give the House a reason to stall deliberations on the measure "because we are also in some kind of a pressure."

Isagani Yambot, Inquirer publisher and vice chair of the Philippine Press Institute, asked Nograles: "Who are these people or parties exerting pressure, or is it psychological pressure?"

Nograles replied: "Certain senators have been calling me, kung puwede mag-concur na lang ako, mag-concur na lang ang House sa ipinasa naming (bill)."

"If you are alluding to other pressure, we are not that type na inilalagay sa pressure. It is a natural pressure of inter-chamber courtesy. When we pass in the House, we lobby, especially on local bills," Nograles said.

The Senate version was authored by Aquilino Pimentel Jr. At least two senators who signed the bill have withdrawn support for it.

Nograles said the House would just wait for media to file arguments against the bill which he said would be voted on any time.

Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. (PDP-Laban), whose family owns the century-old Philippines Free Press, said many congressmen are against the bill "and if you (media) have champions, you’ll fight this."

Locsin also proposed that public officials be not accorded the right of reply unlike ordinary private citizens.

Yambot said the PPI is in favor of the right to reply but is against the proposal to make it "statutory and mandatory.’

The veteran journalist also cited the Miami Herald vs. Tornillo case wherein the United States Supreme Court overturned a Florida state law requiring newspapers to allow equal space in their newspapers for political candidates in cases of an editorial or endorsement.

Vergel Santos, Business World editorial board chair and chairman of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), said: "This is prior restraint too. It is the position of this group that this is not something that is open to negotiation. What we want to put forward is the simple idea that this bill prevents us from doing what we like before we can do it."

Joe Torres, spokesman of the National People’s Media and Press Center, said they are now pinning their hopes on the SC.

"We believe that the institution will defend the freedom of the press, expression and speech. At the proper time, we will go there to challenge its constitutionality," he said.

Joel Egco, president of the Quezon City Press Club, said, "I would rather have an absolutely libelous media than a partly regulated one."

Among other congressmen who attended the consultation were majority leader Arthur Defensor, Matias Defensor (Lakas, Quezon City), Raul del Mar (Lakas, Cebu), Jesus Crispin Remulla (NP, Cavite), and Luis Villafuerte (Kampi, Camarines Sur).