NBI probes mainstream media ‘sedition’

The head of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Tuesday that the agency is looking into some members of the mainstream media for allegedly inciting the public to sedition.

NBI director Jaime Santiago confirmed the investigation, stating that authorities are examining legitimate media professionals who may have overstepped their boundaries.

“If these mediamen have created disturbance, urging people to commit sedition, things like that, then it’s too much,” Santiago said.

However, the NBI chief did not specify the number of mainstream media members under investigation, contrasting it with the 20 vloggers the agency announced it was looking into the previous day for allegedly spreading fake news.

He said some mainstream media figures appeared to have gone too far with their commentary and abused their freedom of speech and expression.

Santiago offered an example, saying, “If they said the director is wrong, should have done this and that. That’s okay, that’s your commentary. That’s what you think is right.”

“But if they utter expletives to someone and keep saying nonsense, it is already going beyond the parameters of the law,” he added.

The announcement comes a day after the NBI disclosed its investigation into at least 20 vloggers for the dissemination of false information. Santiago said the agency is exploring the reasons behind the current themes in vlogs and whether there is any orchestration involved.

Santiago indicated that the NBI would also be looking into instances of severe criticism against government officials and the publication of entirely untrue news reports.