Playing with Fire
Bring it on!
By Gonzalo Duque
SORRY, dear readers, if we devote this precious column for a subject that may not be to your liking.
Pasencia kayo lay daiset agagui.
The reason is that recent events in our media camaraderie club–the Pangasinan Press Club—is facing a litmus “domestic” test.
But being a club of media men, we thought the domestic should involve the public interest because we are all in news dissemination business for the public.
You know, we shouldn’t have minded this till Ashok Vasandani told us that he was being persuaded to sign a resolution to oust us as PPC president. Main proponents, we were told, were our friend broadcaster Orly Navarro, who was recently relieved by Aksyon Radyo, and Ruben Rivera, who was recently inducted president of another press club named JAP (Journalists Assn of Pangasinan).
It’s time we called a spade a spade.
So, please, bear with us, dear readers. Walay melag ya ipaliwawa na ayan makter ya lingkor.
We as PPC president are being blamed for Aksyon Radyo’s decision to let our friend and colleague broadcaster Orly Navarro to take a brief vacation from his announcing job in the station.
It’s a management decision… the decision prompted by the announcer’s alleged violation of a gender sensitivity rights.
We have a tape of his aired remarks that even dragged the name of an influential and revered religious organization when he said the INK will not support a “tomboy” candidate for mayor, forgetting that she has consistently enjoyed the church’s support in all her candidacies in the past, from councilor to vice mayor of Dagupan City.
He even described the vice mayor a “BSL Babae Sometimes Lalake.”
There was a clear violation of the KBP’s Code of Ethics and the Journalist’s Code of Ethics. Management was left with no recourse but to impose sanctions because this might subject us in a suit for such an irresponsible behaviour.
On the other hand, the PPC has not made any stand to have our friend go on leave even if we know that he is a candidate for councilor under Benjie Saplan Lim’s ticket. He gave a “palusot” that it’s his son, barely in his early 20’s and angapoy amta to ni ed pulitika, who is the candidate!
Ayan grupo mahilig ed substitution, the other name for masilib politics.
Our PPC board is still evaluating if it should adopt Aksyon Radyo’s action on the gender sensitivity clause to consider allowing him to go on leave from the club.
As to certain detractors who are working to oust us as PPC president on the ground, according to the main proponent — Ruben L. Rivera, that our term as president has already expired.
Angapoy problema, Lake Ruben. But first, the facts: we should not forget that our predecessor, Allan Sison served as PPC president for two years. We are still on our one and half years as president.
He claims that the two-year term for president was not approved by the Club. Wrong! It was approved by the Board. It’s in the minutes. We’ll show him the documents. If they still question the proof, we have the proper courts to settle the issue.
On this ousting rumor, we urge our detractors–incidentally, they are in the payroll of Benjie Lim–to try their best to oust us, because as we said before, we will do our worst.
This line of thinking or tinkering being pursued by our detractors that we have ceased to be president implies that even the proponent, who has ousted himself when he organized the Jap and took his solemn oath before Mayor Lim, and all the directors should also have been “ex men.” So no one can do any more business in the PPC, right? Blame your twisted logic.
Let’s put it this way: ok na tayo if you regard us a past president. At least, we felt happy for having given the club a mark of respectability after we abolished the policy of collecting money from our Media in Action guest speakers. We have received commendations for this and succeeded in giving the club a respectable image.
Dakkel ni ray agawaan tayo. And we feel good leaving the club in hopefully good hands like Ashok Vasandani being the next in rank if he so decides to run for president or any one with a high moral ground. Pangasi yo balet, aleg met ed aray mahilig ya mankolekta because that would convert it to a charity club – or worse!
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