Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri has sought additional insurance coverage for journalists and media workers on field assignment after the spate of media attacks in recent weeks. Zubiri’s Senate Bill (SB) No. 160 or the “Journalists Insurance Act of 2010" aims to give the victims and their families immediate assistance from the government and the media outfits. The senator cited data from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) which states that 140 journalists and media workers were killed since 1986. However, 104 of those deaths occurred between 2001 to 2010. Zubiri said the insurance benefits are a way of recognizing the courage and sacrifice of members of the so-called “Fourth Estate." He explained that his measure covers not only to permanent journalist employees but also temporary, contractual, and casual journalists employed by media outfits in the country, including freelance journalists. Aside from the existing insurance benefits from the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Insurance System (GSIS), Zubiri said field journalists and media workers should also be entitled to the following:
A P200,000 death benefit “for all mass media practitioners and employees on field assignment who shall perish in line of duty;" Disability benefit up to P200,000 “for all mass media practitioners who shall suffer total or partial disability, whether permanent or temporary, arising from any injury sustained in the line of duty," and Reimbursement of actual medical expenses up to but not to exceed P100,000 “for all mass media practitioners and employees on field assignment who shall be hospitalized or who shall require medical attendance for injuries sustained while in the line of duty." SB 160 mandates media entities to pay the insurance premium and give them the option to choose the insurance company where they can enrol their qualified employees. The bill defines media entities as "newspapers, radio, television and internet companies involved in the dissemination of news and information for public consumption and are duly accredited by any reputable media organization or association but not limited to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Office of the Press Secretary (PIA-OPS), National Press Club (NPC), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ngPilipinas (KBP) duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other government agency." The PIA-OPS, NPC, NUJP and KBP will also be mandated to offer the opportunity for freelance journalists to secure additional insurance coverage before working on war zones or dangerous areas. For violators, SB 160 recommends a fine of not less than P200,000 but not more than P500,000 or imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years or both fine and imprisonment. – VVP, GMANews.TV 
GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
