PBC calls for ‘sensitivity, sobriety and responsibility’ from media members

The 27th Philippine Business Conference (PBC) ended yesterday with participants rushing to pass a number of resolutions, including one that calls on media to observe "sensitivity, sobriety and responsibility" in news coverage.

The PBC also proposed the creation of a superbody to stamp out kidnap for ransom in the country.

PBC Resolution 2001-03 states that "some of the country’s media are responsible for sensationalizing negative news items."

The PBC said "this practice is detrimental to the country’s economic development because it contributes to the creation of a negative image of the country in the local and international business community."

The PBC participants resolved "to call on the media to formulate and implement a set of ethical standards which call for sensitivity, sobriety and responsibility in news coverage, including an agreement not to show dead bodies in print or television."

The PBC resolution were presented to Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia at the close of the three-day conference.

Another resolution is calling on Congress to review during its 12th session all economic-related laws to ascertain whether they can be implemented and to defer the enactment of further legislation without a full assessment of the resources to implement them.

The PBC noted that existing laws are not fully implemented due to lack of funding, guidelines, or local technical expertise.

The PBC also called on public officials to "put an end to their political bickering and work full time on the economy."

On the peace and order situation, the PBC urged President Arroyo "to restore the confidence of the private sector by taking more drastic measures before the end of the year."

Among the measures the PBC proposing are:

• Providing rewards to informants whose testimony leads to the apprehension of perpetrators.

• Applying the law on capital punishment as a deterrent to future kidnapping.

• Organizing an anti-kidnapping superbody, responsible to the President, to stamp out kidnap for ransom in the country.

There was also a resolution asking the President to direct the Secretary of the Department of Finance (DOF) to review the list of foreign loans next year, and explore and negotiate for voluntary condonation, as in the case of India and Pakistan.

PBC said the DoF could also undertake debt swaps for specific programs, acceptable to the foreign creditors, that would address the immediate needs of the Filipino people.

There was also a resolution on the persistent garbage problem. The PBC is appealing to Congress to amend the Clean Air Act (Republic Act 8479) to allow acceptable incineration methods and to deter the implementation of the 2003 gasoline standards and 2004 diesel standards to 2004.