BANTA sa press freedom ang ‘pananakot’ ni Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla sa tinaguriang Banateros vloggers matapos nilang kapanayamin ang nagtatagong si dating BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag.

Dahil dito, pinangangambahang isusunod ng DOJ ang panggigipit din sa mga nasa traditional media na bumabatikos hindi lang sa nasabing ahensya kundi sa iba pang mga nasa pamahalaan.

Tahasang kinondena ng Banateros vloggers ang anila’y pag-persecute at pag-harass sa kanila ni Remulla.

Anila, muli na namang nagbabanta ang martial law sa bansa dahil sa tangkang pagbusal sa mga kritiko, partikular ang media people at political opposition.

“Once again the evil of martial law is threatening to overrun the country as the government engages in acts to muzzle its critics—the media people and the political opposition,” pahayag ng Banateros vloggers.

Anila, mismong ang kalihim ng katarungan ang nanguna sa gobyerno sa lantarang pagsupil sa free press at free expression sa pamamagitan ng pag-persecute at pag-harass sa media practitioners at political opposition sa paraang pagbaluktot sa batas at legal system ng bansa na naglalayong isakatuparan ang pag-railroad sa mga kaso at maipatupad ang ilegal na pag-aresto.

“The Secretary of Justice no less has ironically led the government to suppress free press and free expression by persecuting and harassing freely and openly media practitioners and political opposition by twisting the law and the legal system of our beloved country to suit his end to railroad their cases and effect illegal arrest,” bahagi ng inilabas na pahayag ng mga naturang vlogger.

Anila, sila namang Banateros vloggers na free press crusaders at justice defenders, ang binalingan ng kagalang-kagalang na kalihim ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan, sa pamamagitan ng court contempt.

“By our interviewing accused DG Bantag on matters way outside of the merits of his case, the Honorable Secretary wants to railroad (again!) a case of contempt of court purportedly under the provision of the Rules of Court declaring in contempt of court, ‘Any improper conduct tending, directly or indirectly, to impede, obstruct, or degrade the administration of justice.’ In the exercise of our legitimate right to free press by fielding questions to an accused unrelated to his case, can the Honorable Secretary honestly accuse us of impeding, obstructing, or degrading the administration of justice?,” tanong ng grupo.

Gayunman, tiniyak ng grupo na hindi sila pasisindak sa anila’y ‘antics of injustice’.

“On the contrary, we, BANATEROS, in the face of a brazen display of abuse of government power, feel obligated to make firm all the more our resolve to stand up to a government bullying and terrorizing.”

Nanawagan sila sa mga kasamahan sa press at social media na huwag magpatinag sa ganitong uri ng tangkang pagbusal sa malayang pamamahayag “or we all lose our prized freedom of expression.”