Playing with Fire
A different media mindset
By Gonzalo Duque
FINALLY, the oath taking of the new officers of the Pangasinan Press Club took place amidst a roaring typhoon.
The inclement weather was providential. We didn’t want an induction affair after which there would be no more functional press club. This is the reason it came late in the day. The oath taking was merely symbolic, that a new set up has taken over and vows to make the club a different one.
Some do not still understand us. That’s all right. We vowed during the campaign to change the set-up and possibly, the mindset of the members so that they become real and true journalists in the community scene.
As you well know, habits die hard and so, it doesn’t matter if we encounter resistance. Ok lang, we are used to it.
But we are happy about the successful induction/oath taking before RTC Judge Emma Torio, our successor as president of Rotary Uptown Dagupan. She is a principled lady, and we admire her for that.
Preceding the oath taking was a highly informative symposium on press freedom, ethics and specifically the proposed Freedom Information Bill. Guest of honor was our highly respected lawyer Allan Paguia who found the proposed bill redundant because we already have existing laws that make it unnecessary.
We are fortunate to have a learned lawyer in our midst. Atty. Paguia is from neighbor Mangaldan town.
Punch boss Ermin Garcia missed the oath taking because he was led to a wrong direction by a hotel waitress. Saan ka ba ipinadpad, bosing? Anyway, it’s not the physical presence that’s important but his all-abiding and full support to our advocacy.
Ermin is one of the few guys who have given us strength. You know how it is in our new world, it’s like the snake pit in Malacacang, not in the sense of a cloak-and-dagger fashion but in the big hurdle media reforms are being made.
Atty. Paguia promised to return and give another course for young journalists, those who someday would take after us. Thank you, Allan.
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Incidentally, there’s a certain guy in the local media who is trying hard to be in the national media who has threatened to physically assault us due to our advocacy of principled media practice. We have already given the police his identity, so that they will know whom to pick in case he’d make a martyr of us.
We said a lot about him and his threats during our last media forum to educate our colleagues on our unique environment. We hate to say more about an unworthy subject to conserve precious newspaper space.
Anything is ok with us.
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It’s too early to pass judgment on the first year of President Aquino. Suffice it to say that he is trying hard to be a good president. But he is not perfect like all of us, and so we should refrain from making conclusive remarks about his first year performance. The guy needs more time to be able to make a mark as a leader of the country.
Wish him luck.
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