Spooked by Lapid slay? Zubiri dares journos to 'go to China' for real 'chilling effect'

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Percy" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/11/08/20221108-migz-percy.jpg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA - Journalists terrorized by the assassination of Percival &quot;Percy Lapid&quot; Mabasa should &quot;go to China&quot; to experience the real &quot;chilling effect,&quot; Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Monday, as he insisted that the Philippines remains to have a &quot;very free media.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/07/22/bantag-faces-raps-over-lapid-villamor-killings">Murder raps filed vs Bantag, BuCor official in Lapid/Villamor killings</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Do you want the chilling effect? You all go to China. Can I invite you to China and do your reporting there? You will be caught on site and brought on site. That’s a chilling effect,&quot; Zubiri told reporters.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/14/22/filipino-journalists-call-for-end-to-impunity-amid-death-threats">Filipino journalists call for end to impunity amid death threats</a></li></ul><p>According to Zubiri, the killing of Mabasa had no &quot;chilling effect&quot; among media workers since authorities were able to act on the case.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/11/22/ressa-to-appeal-cyberlibel-conviction-in-supreme-court">Maria Ressa to appeal cyberlibel conviction in Supreme Court</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Iyong nangyari kay Percy Lapid, has no [chilling effect]. For me ha, ako yan... Buti sana kung hindi inaksyunan. If hindi inaksyunan, eh di sana I’ll stand with you here. Pero inaksyunan nila,&quot; he said.</p><p>He added that Philippine media simply blew up the Mabasa murder case.</p><p>&quot;You make the case very big. Pinapaputok niyo yung kaso. Pero sa totoo lang, sa ibang bansa, kagagaling ko lang sa ibang bansa, ganyan ang problema nila,&quot; Zubiri said.</p><p>For the lawmaker, the Philippines continues to have a &quot;free media&quot; especially when compared to other nations. </p><p>&quot;We have a very free media as compared to Singapore; as compared to Malaysia; as compared to Vietnam... Sige nga, mag-report nga kayo doon. Subukan niyo. Please, subukan niyo... Itong mga bansa na iba, hindi naman totoong demokrasya, with all due respect. Tayo, demokrasya tayo,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;In Malaysia, there’s an Anti-Terror Law wherein you are not allowed to say bad things against government programs, they can shut you down. Same goes to Vietnam. Lalo na dun kasi Communist yun... In China, wala na. In Hong Kong, lahat sinasara na. All the free press. All the offices and newspapers in Hong Kong are shut down by the Central Government,&quot; he added.</p><p>Zubiri then appealed to the media to &quot;help&quot; make the Philippines look good.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/14/22/filipino-journalists-call-for-end-to-impunity-amid-death-threats">Filipino journalists call for end to impunity amid death threats</a></li></ul><p>&quot;I appeal to the media, tulungan niyo naman kami na pagandahin ang imahe ng Pilipinas. Katulad noong Percy Lapid na iyan, nahuli na nga iyong bumaril at mahuhuli na nga iyong mastermind. Tumulong naman kayo i-announce &#x27;yan sa buong mundo,&quot; he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/02/22/percy-lapid-slay-alleged-masterminds-named-murder-charges-to-be-filed-brother">Percy Lapid killing: Alleged masterminds named; murder charges to be filed — brother</a></li></ul><p>On Monday, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police filed two separate murder complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against suspended Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag and another Bureau of Corrections official tagged as masterminds in the Oct. 3 killing of Mabasa.</p><p>The motive was supposedly Mabasa’s “continued exposé” against Bantag on his program “Lapid Fire.”</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/11/08/22/percy-lapid-case-cctv-sa-bilibid-sinusuri">CCTV sa Bilibid sinusuri kaugnay sa papatay kay Percy Lapid</a></li></ul><p>The Philippines ranked 147th among 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders&#x27; 2022 press freedom index, citing &quot;government’s targeted attacks and constant harassment... of journalists and media outlets that are too critical.&quot;</p><p>Meanwhile, a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the Philippines remained the seventh worst country where killers of journalists get away with murder.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/03/22/ph-is-7th-worst-country-for-journalist-murders-report">Philippines still 7th in media watchdog&#x27;s 2022 global impunity index</a></li></ul><p>This is the Philippines&#x27; 15th year in the index, where the country was ranked together with Somalia, Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico, Myanmar, Brazil, Pakistan, and India.</p><p>According to CPJ’s 2022 Global Impunity Index, the Philippines tallied 14 unsolved journalist murders in the last decade and retained its ranking from last year. </p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2288974" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

According to Senate President Migz Zubiri, the killing of Lapid had no 'chilling effect' among media workers since authorities were able to act on the case. 

Spooked by Lapid slay? Zubiri dares journos to 'go to China' for real 'chilling effect' | ABS-CBN

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Spooked by Lapid slay? Zubiri dares journos to 'go to China' for real 'chilling effect'

Spooked by Lapid slay? Zubiri dares journos to 'go to China' for real 'chilling effect'

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 08, 2022 10:10 PM PHT

|

Updated Nov 11, 2022 02:56 PM PHT

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Senate

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Senate President

Juan Miguel Zubiri

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chilling effect

press freedom

Percival Mabasa

Percy Lapid

media killing

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