Media: thank you!

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

Needless to say, there are many private individuals and a good number of fortunately non-governmental groups and organizations that rightfully deserve the genuine gratitude of still good-willed citizens in this country. They have served much and continue to serve well in faithfully and closely watching the conduct of the last elections.

They were neither employed nor paid. Yet they used their energy and time, talents and resources in faithfully monitoring the midterm elections all over the land. They lost rest and sleep. They were threatened. They faced dangers. Yet with but the pursuit of truth and justice as their distinct resolve, they watched, they well noted and loudly denounced the many election anomalies in many ways and forms—all under the odious and shameful flagship of continuous lying, cheating and stealing by those greedy for power and might.

Those generous persons and private associations faithfully served as the eyes and ears of the general public. They looked. They saw. They spoke. Millions heard their reports of many election events, most of which were far from inspiring the electorate and markedly dissonant with what democratic elections meant in many ways and means.

But among those who deserve special mention are the truthful and faithful constituents of the fourth estate. These are the media practitioners who placed their lives and safety on the line. Some of them were actually killed for telling the truth. It is an open secret that for the present government, it is a crime to tell the truth. When individuals precisely tell pro-administration lies, these are the ones amply rewarded usually with juicy government positions and/or awarded big public contracts.

It is not for nothing that this country has been not long since loudly proclaimed as a very dangerous place for media people. Together with flagrant and unresolved hundreds of many classified killings in the country, a good number of media practitioners were unceremoniously murdered and done away with for keeps.

When a government begins thinking that it is the master of the people, that it is the one and only measure of what is good, true and just, then the first victims of this odious posture are media people. This is a distinct lesson from human history. There is no room for free media in any false democracy—such as when those in authority and power adamantly refuse to end their tenure according to the provisions of law and the dictates of conscience.

Media ladies and gentlemen: thank you very much!

 

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/viewpoints/)

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