Playing with Fire
Guest speakers, not guest spenders
By Gonzalo Duque
THE maiden edition of Media in Action, a breakfast forum every Wednesday of the Pangasinan Press Club, was, to say the least, a big success.
Guest speaker Mark Cojuangco, former congressman and earlier ardent advocate of nuclear power, proved to be articulate and a great authority on the subject. He was praised by the other guest, partylist Zos Salazar of Akbayan, who intimated that a future dialogue on the issue should include Ms. Baraquel and Congressman Walden Bello, who are known for their staunch opposition to nuclear power.
The size of the audience who came and participated in the forum has inspired us especially anchorman Nestor Pulido, press club past president, who promised to be present every week. We thank our fellow journalists who supported the project.
A naughty observer said “it’s only now that a press forum had a real guest speaker, not guest spender.” You know what he meant, don’t you? Many of our friends in the government hire and those who are in the business of news making, those who shine in the public view because of their public advocacies have poured their hearts out why they tend to shy away or avoid getting invited or trapped in media forums. They said they’d be asked to cough up a certain sum in the guise of footing the bill for the rent of the place, for coffee or for food and for “take-home” items in cash or in kind. We are trying to avoid this, as we are doing our best to put media in the highest light.
Pasensiya na ang mga partners natin (some of them anyway) for this new and novel policy, because after all, we know that each and every media practitioner would really want it this way, para malinis, above board, credible, respectable and totoong balita, di ba?
Sana ganyan lagi, came a lady newshen’s sigh, so that media will be treated with respect.
* * *
Come April 5, Pangasinenses will celebrate the province’s 131st foundation anniversary.
We are happy about it, and you know that. We were partly instrumental in its conceptualization and enactment, ahem…. but truth to tell, the province’s historic turn, i. e., its remembering its past, which you and us are agreed, is more a credit to Governor Spines, who made it all a reality.
We learned that President Pnoy is coming to the province on Friday, which all the more makes the celebration significant, this time, not Mayor Marcelo Navarro’s or Mayor Nani’s show, but the Governor’s and the people of Pangasinan. Isn’t that great?
Say Mabuhay Pangasinan, mabuhay Gov Spines, mabuhay tayong lahat.
* * *
By next week, the Media in Action forum intends to put Mayor Benjie Lim and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez on the line. Or if they chicken out, at least they send their representatives, like say, Councilors Brian Lim and Red Erfe Mejia on the one hand, and maybe, Councilors Maybeline Fernandez and Alfie Fernandez or Chito Samson on the other.
But if the principal stars would not show up, they’d miss their chance of a life time, because they know that they owe the public an explanation why they, each of them Mayor Benjie and Vice Mayor Belen anyway, don’t get themselves across the public mind in the clearest perspective.
Bahala kayo kung hindi kayo mag show up, as our motto says, “ ang pikon, talo!
If you ask us, parehong talo sina Benjie at Belen sa public perception, kasi kanya kanyang angulo ang pagtanggap ng publiko sa report nila e. Sabi ng mga tao, pulitika tan, parehon walay iyaamot da.
We did a random survey, pareho pa rin ang paniniwala ng mga tao, to each his camp. Katon diad sayan forum, na walang kinikilingan, walang sinasanto, walang bias, or an impartial court of public opinion ika nga, ditto na lang sila mag 12th round, ya singa laban nen Pacquiao tan si Marquez, ta parehon match na match, di po ba?
Abangan!
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