Authority and Responsibilities of Regulatory Councils
- Each regulatory council is responsible for elevating ethics and standards of excellence within their respective media group.
- Councils may adopt policies, formulate guidelines, fix standards, and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations on operation and discipline.
- Such standards and rules must conform with existing laws, particularly those concerning national security.
- The Minister of Public Information must be furnished copies of all rules, regulations, and decisions of the councils for information purposes only.
Registration and Certification of Mass Media
- No person or entity may undertake mass media activity in the Philippines without prior registration with the appropriate regulatory council.
- Regulatory councils issue certificates of registration only to applicants qualified under the Constitution, laws, and their own rules.
- Councils are empowered to suspend or cancel certificates of registration for causes provided in their rules.
- Certificates shall not be granted to entities that were closed or sequestered since September 1972 due to Proclamation No. 1081 or thereafter closed for being used in subversive or unlawful activities against national security.
Immediate Effectivity
- The provisions of this decree take effect immediately upon its promulgation, emphasizing the urgency and importance of media regulation and self-discipline.
This framework emphasizes a balance between press freedom and social responsibility, the self-regulatory role of media councils with public representation, and government oversight specifically related to qualifications and national security concerns.