The Senate Media released a statement on Thursday in response to Sen. Rodante Marcoleta's claim during a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that mainstream media are merely "paid hacks."

In a statement, it asserted that such a remark by a senator was not only irresponsible but an attack on an institution widely acknowledged as an essential driver of a free and functioning democracy.

Marcoleta’s statement unfairly defamed media workers who risk pressure, harassment, and their safety to inform the public and hold those responsible accountable for their actions, as the role of journalists is not to serve politicians, political parties, or competing factions, but to serve public interest.

“Its duty is to pursue facts, verify information, question those in power and report developments without fear or favor,” it wrote.

Alongside this, the Senate media also said that Marcoleta’s accusations against the press corrode public trust in legitimate journalism and contribute to a climate of hostility against media practitioners, which became increasingly harder during periods of intense political conflict.

Journalists should never be dragged into the rivalries, feuds, or power struggles of political figures. The media is not a weapon to be wielded by one camp against another, nor should it be treated as collateral damage in political warfare,” it also wrote.

The statement also highlighted that attempts to paint the press as partisan simply because it reports uncomfortable facts are unfair, as a free press can only perform its constitutional role when it is allowed to operate independently.

“Public officials, such as Marcoleta, who make serious allegations against journalists have a responsibility to present evidence instead of just relying on inflammatory rhetoric that undermines democratic institutions,” it added.

The media outlet underscored that journalists deserve freedom to report without being branded, bullied, or sacrificed in the political battles of others.