MAMAMAYANG Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima is proposing House Bill (HB) 8718, or the Campus Press Freedom Act.
De Lima said in the explanatory note of HB 8718 that despite the good intentions behind the crafting and passage of the law, Republic Act 7079, or the Campus Journalism Act, “has been proven to be seriously flawed and riddled with deficiencies to fully maintain the existence of campus press, and to protect the rights and welfare of student journalists.” Among the law’s “glaring flaws” was that it legalizes nonmandatory collection of publication fee, it does not mandate colleges and universities to have student publications, and it does not have a penalty clause, “leaving erring administrations unscathed from violations.” Under the bill, which would repeal the law, all educational institutions in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels must set up a student publication.
Funding shall come from student publication fees collected by the school administration.
The bill provides a fine of between P150,000 and P250,000, or imprisonment of from one year to five years for someone “who shall willfully intervene with, restrain or coerce any student publication/student journalist in the exercise of its/their functions and rights guaranteed by this Act.”
