Military requiring journalists to submit biodata for accreditation purposes

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Western Mindanao over the latter’s new policy requiring journalists to submit their biodata for accreditation purposes.

Various media outlets have dubbed it as “profiling”.

NUJP vice chair Nonoy Espina said in a statement that:

The biodata is not only an invasion of privacy, it is a subtle repression of press freedom as it would give the Westmincom information office blanket authority to decide who it will or will not consider a journalist, an authority it does not have the competence or legal right to possess.

The information journalists are supposed to submit includes facts that have absolutely nothing to do with their profession — social security and tax identification numbers, distinguishing physical marks, eye and hair color, blood type.

It also requires journalists to give the names and addresses of next of kin, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and religious affiliation.

The form also requires journalists to sign a waiver of “all my legal rights/claims against the AFP for any accident, loss or any untoward incident that may occur while covering the AFP activities,” supposedly executed “on my own free will and volition.”

US hand?

The US military forces are encamped at the Westmincom headquarters and may have demanded such “profiling”.