Playing with Fire
Another look at Fourth Estate abuses
By Gonzalo Duque
IT’S with a bruised heart that we wrote this.
As a columnist of this paper and former president of the local press club, we felt the sting of President-elect Rody Duterte’s much publicized criticism of media.
But before things get out of hand, Digong, we know, was referring to the scalawags of the press, not the righteous ones.
In other words, he was just like one of us.
We could not deny the presence – even here in our province – of corrupt, unethical journalists hopping from one office to another like beggars or mulcting policemen. Happily, there are few among us.
There too are abusive ones, mga “magagaling” kuno but they use their power to promote their vested interests.
Who can deny that even the prestigious ABS-CBN and PDI, sorry Ging and Yolly, maligned and humiliated then candidate Digong?
Dito sa atin, who can deny the truth about the so-called block timers? They have a radio program structured to promote a personal, private or political interest. Mga bayaran yan!
And the public knows it.
Let’s go back just briefly with what Senator Trillanes do to Digong, kesyo when they were friends, Digong daw confessed to the senator how he would order his victim to kneel before shooting him.
It’s not true, di ba? Obvious that it isn’t true. But certain media outlets promoted it.
We caution our colleagues to exercise their fair judgment in their reporting to use their lenses to glorify only the truth and what is fair.
They should ponder the theme of this paper, “No man is to be reverenced more than the truth.” But kwidaw, what’s the truth?
Our obvious guide should be the Ten Commandments – and in our job, the Code of Ethics of Journalists.
Tama si Atong, the truth should be the one that’s not arrived at by man’s limited analysis but by the inspiration of God.
Do you realize how noble journalism is? It’s even more than government.
Listen to the highest press thinker, 3rd U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, who said, “were I to choose between a government without press, and a press without a government, I would not hesitate to choose the latter.”
* * * *
Thank you Mayor Belen for texting us on our column item last week on her near-defeat in the last elections.
Matagal na kaming di nagkikita, aggravated by the last elections when we were at opposite parties.
You see, we likened the last poll in Dagupan like a mock elections. It was not meant to know the real winner that the Comelec would uphold… just the sent input.
But Divine Providence was on her side.
And she should be grateful to know and better reflect on the score. Fact is Belen may not have been the ideal mayor Dagupenos have, but she was, and still is, the best, so far.
It would be well for the lucky winners from the opposition to also thank the Divine Providence (Celia Lim withdrawal) because; the result could have truly been different!
Congrats to you all! Do your best this time around.
* * * *
We’d like to remind the city council of the critical value of the Clean Air Act, specifically, waste/septic management in the city. The outgoing council (up to June 30 only) did not appreciate its value.
It would be a fair warning on those who sleep on a vital piece of legislation who might end in the sala of the Ombudsman.
(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)
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