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‘Media’s sole responsibility is to the people’

A journalists’ organization on Thursday took exception to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s appeal for media to help her in the last three years of her term, saying media’s “sole responsibility is to the people.”

Arroyo made her appeal Wednesday to executives of selected media outfits she invited to Malacañang.

“The media can help the government and the country reach a new plane of development, stability and reform by balanced reporting based on verified facts, constructive commentary on public issues, and editorial focus on news that matters to the lives and livelihood of ordinary Filipinos,” Arroyo told the media executives.
However, while saying it found nothing wrong with Arroyo’s asking the media’s help “in pursuing a better future for our country and people,” the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said there was “something amiss in Ms. Arroyo’s attempt to suggest how media should choose, present and deliver the news.”

In a statement, the NUJP reminded Arroyo that media’s duty “is to report events, good or bad, as they happen and not to spin the news to suit anyone’s agenda, much less conform to anyone’s concept of what balanced reporting, balanced commentary and editorial focus should be.”

“Our sole responsibility is to the people, and their right to free access to the information they need to decide how to shape their future as individuals and as a nation,” it added.

However, it pointed out that since she came to power in 2001, Arroyo’s administration “has, time and again, worked to suppress that information and, worse, even attempted to muzzle the media or blame us when reportage does not conform to the image it wishes to project.”

“Neither,” the group added, “has Ms. Arroyo acted decisively to stem the most extreme form of censorship — the murder of journalists — that has claimed the lives of 52 since she came to power, the highest tally under any sitting president. And she has three more years to go.”

The NUJP said that instead of seeking media’s help “to paint a better image of her administration,” all Arroyo “has to do is exercise genuine good governance and be transparent.”

“Whether she does so or not, the media will do its part, as always, by performing its duty of reporting events as they happen,” it said.

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21 Comments

  1. alitaptap alitaptap

    The Pretender is under the illusion that she is high and mighty and can do no wrong. In other words she is insulting the intelligence of the media. She expects the media to kowtow like dumbunye who paints everything in a rosy picture. The public has learned to read d’glue with the forked tongue, i.e. when she says her term ends in three years it means she intends to squat in office for a lifetime.

  2. Elvira Sahara Elvira Sahara

    “Whether she does so or not, the media will do its part, as always, by performing its duty of reporting events as they happen,” it said.
    Naku, Itong si Tianak, trying hard pa rin siyang bilugen ang ulo ng mga journalists! Salamat at hindi kagaya niya ang mga ito. Pinalalabas niyang ang media ang mga irresponsable sa mga kapalpakan niya kasi hindi marunong magtago ng mga kasinungalingan at panloloko niya sa mga tao!
    C’mon, presidenteng peke, when will you ever wake up? Sinasalpak-salpak ka na ng milyon-milyong Pilipino, trying hard ka pa rin! ‘Yan ba ang Assumptionista?
    Ikinahihiya ka na Tianak ng kapwa mo kaeskuwela! Wake up. baby Ti, Wake up!

  3. The criminal should not be allowed to use the Filipino journalists, etc. for free publicity for her propaganda the way she and her husband did in 2001. Enough is enough! She should be made responsible for all the crimes that she and her cohorts have committed against the Filipino people. More than 850 Filipinos have already been sacrificed for this creep to stay in power that she has abused to the hilt.

    The duty of the Philippine media now is to expose all the anomalies, graft and corruption, etc. of these criminals calling themselves officials of the Philippine government. All monies, etc. stolen by these criminals should be retrieved and recovered by all means possible, even by some Act of God!!!

    PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!

  4. jay cynikho jay cynikho

    In all aspects of public policy implementation, in all aspects of governance, even relations with media (where she is deemed responsible for numerous murders of media men), Gloria arroyo has lost credibility, respect, and tolerated authority. The last election has proved the people do not accept her legitimacy as president.

    She is now an inutil executive with limited compliance only from her co-conspirators to defraud the Filipinos and all her beneficiaries in the executive branch. What she says or do is no longer of consequence to the people. The people is just waiting it out for her Disappearance figuratively or literally from the Philippine scene. The dustbin of murky history is waiting for her speedy entry.

  5. xanadu xanadu

    In another thread, I wrote what I read on who were the media execs invited by Gloria to appeal for media help. Not in the list are our favorites representing Malaya, Abante and Tribune.

    From now on and what we have been doing, we will also watch what the media will be saying on Gloria’s governance. We will be watching what they’re going to say on many issues, past and present and what’s hot like the $365M telecom deal. We will watch kung sino ang media-media lang ang report.

  6. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Philippine bogus President Gloria Arroyo and her husband Jose Pidal wants the media ceasefire on government’s abuses, scams and anomalies. Dropping libel suits against journalists and publishers is a calculated Queens’ gambit and perfect timing. The young Turks in the Senate can rock the boat or may sink M/V Gloria. Malacanang is in panic mode. The opposition dominated upper house promised to re-investigate the Jose Pidal money laundering activities, Hello Garci political scam, political killings and ZTI Corp.$365M telecom misdeal. These are super hot media subjects.

  7. Aling Gloria wants media to project the government positively? The government must act positively, then. The media merely report news, it is the people, particularly those in power, who make them. If deals are done aboveboard, I don’t think media can have anything to feast on. Unfortunately, even her claim to power is anything but aboveboard.

    Bedol “lost” elections documents under his care. Can anyone blame the media for casting COMELEC in bad light? A contract worth $365M was “lost”, too. Isn’t it media’s, as well as every Filipino’s, responsibility to ask the pertinent questions?

    If and when “Hello Garci” gets taken up in the 14th Congress, will someone from NBI claim that the original tapes were- guess again- lost?

  8. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    The primary role of the media is to report news as it happen. It’s up to the public whether they take it positively or negatively particularly investigative reporting. Malacanang wants the mass media as its propaganda mouthpiece by spreading lies and half-truths. GMA’s game plan is not acceptable. Gloria Arroyo is fantasying in her Enchanted Kingdom.

    Baka sabihin ng NBI kinain ng ipis o daga ang mga orihinal tapes. Sobrang babaw ang palusot ng mga alipores ni Gloria. Akala nila madaling lokohin ang mga Pinoy.

  9. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Manong Diego,
    As if by coincidence, several important documents, including the findings of the investigation into the looting by firemen of the parcel section of the fire-razed Pasay Post Office, are also, well, missing. This was found out by the new City Fire Chief when he assumed office rplacing his sacked predecessor.

    This is an old modus employed by crooks in gov’t given a new twist in recent times, like a remake of an old song with Lintang Bedol credited for the comebacking hit.

    Had the TV network not included the video in its broadcast, we would still have those thieves lurking in the homes of future fire victims, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

    Does Gloria want media to stop these kinds of reports?

  10. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    The deliberate losing of public documents particularly when it involves in scams is like dead men tell no tales. It appears to be the standard operating procedure (SOP) under the corrupt Arroyo regime. Lintang Bedol’s CoC hocus focus is increbedol. Gloria is allergic to truth and out of touch in the real world. She wants praises and hallelujahs.

  11. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    This kind of scandal involving elected public officials must be reported openly. The people has the right to know when it comes to transparency , accountability and responsibility of public officials. Gloria and her cohorts want to suppress this kind of news.

    CA confirmation costs P5 M – Teves

    A Cabinet member who wants to be confirmed by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) has to shell out at least P5 million to win confirmation, outgoing Negros Oriental Rep. Herminio Teves disclosed Thursday.

    Teves told reporters that he has personal knowledge of the corrupt practice of some CA members – who he clarified were congressmen, not senators – because his son Finance Secretary Margarito Teves was one of the victims of these lawmakers.

    Teves said he informed some senators about the congressmen’s demand and that the senators were surprised.
    abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=81886

  12. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    I just heard this news, too, DKG. Teves said it was congressmen not senators who made “kikil” from Gloria’s appointees. He also divulged that SOME of these congressmen ran and lost in the senate in the just concluded elections.

    I’ve heard these stories before and it was Pichay who was specifically “hinted” by reporters. This admission by Teves confirms it.

    I wonder who the others are. Does anyone here know the previous composition of the CA in the house? Who among them ran and lost?

  13. Its no surprise that Schizoglo’s spiel that “The media can help the government and the country reach a new plane of development, stability and reform by balanced reporting based on verified facts, constructive commentary on public issues, and editorial focus on news that matters to the lives and livelihood of ordinary Filipinos,” she’s scared stiff of the investigations the NEW senators will uncover, plenty I’m sure of that.
    And now this Assistant Secetary Lorenzo G. Formoso III of the Department of Transportation and Communication will no doubt get the axe for disclosing a “national shame” at the forum on the National Broadband Network project.
    If Schizoglo wasn’t in Panic Mode before the announcement of Lorenzo G. Formoso then she’s in a Panic Mode now!
    This is what happens when you try to hide the facts instead of transparency , accountability and responsibility but the cover-ups abound with public officials within this criminal lead administration. Theft of documents is their latest ploy in trying to fool the public, but it wont wash any longer – this ship is leaking and WILL sink, be patient! Enough is Enough.

  14. TonGuE-tWisTeD TonGuE-tWisTeD

    Am outta here! Goin’ to Subic. See ya later, Ellen!

  15. Tongue,

    I have a suspicion that Pichay made a great deal of money from Mike Cuerpo aka Mike Jimenez when he pretended to protect him from being extradited to the USA, but must have also made money from the US for helping the US get Mike Jimenez. We just have to remember all the events prior to MJ’s finally going to jail in the USA to know what this crook must have done to fatten his pockets.

    Watch out for JdV, Egcel Lagman (the Pimp No. 2), and even this So Very Me Girl binabae, et al! Kakadiri!!!

  16. myrna myrna

    “The media can help the government and the country reach a new plane of development, stability and reform by balanced reporting based on verified facts, constructive commentary on public issues, and editorial focus on news that matters to the lives and livelihood of ordinary Filipinos,” Arroyo told the media executives.

    yan ang sabi ni pandak….

    ang sa akin naman, bakit, hindi ba constructive ang magsabi ng totoo ang media, at ipaliwanag sa tao kung bakit nagkakaganito ang lahat, nang dahil sa kanyang kagagawan? ang dapat niyang gawin, kung may malasakit siya sa taongbayan, ay umalis na sa pekeng trono niya, at siya ang problema…hindi ang media.

    mag-uulat ba ang media, kung walang nakita sa kanila?

  17. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    RE: Does anyone here know the previous composition of the CA in the house? Who among them ran and lost?

    Who are the crooks? It’s easy to pinpoint among the list below. Of course, they will deny any wrong doings.
    abs-cbnnews.com/images/news/microsites/halalan07/congressional.html

    Excerpts from ABS-CBN: The CA is a 25-member constitutional body chaired by the Senate president, with the head of the House contingent as its vice chairman. There are 12 senators and 12 congressmen in the commission.

    The House contingent is headed by Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr., who lost in his senatorial bid. Its members are Reps. Jesus Jurdin Romualdo of Camiguin, Eduardo Veloso of Leyte, Marcelino Libanan of Eastern Samar (now immigration commissioner), Prospero Amatong of Compostela Valley, Manuel Ortega of La Union, Rafael Nantes of Quezon, Antonino Roman of Bataan, Aurelio Umali of Nueva Ecija, Victor Sumulong of Antipolo City, Harlin Habayon of Northern Samar and Rolex Suplico of Iloilo.

  18. rose rose

    Takot na si GMA sa “The Power of the Pen to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.” I guess she learned a lesson kaya ang asawa niya “saw the light and dropped the cases against the journalists.

  19. Chabeli Chabeli

    I guess Gloria is in desperado mode. Her house seems to be in disarray, if not almost on fire. Soon this woman’s house will just implode.

  20. Chabeli:

    Time to kick out the burot from the palace by the murky river bago makanakaw pa ng husto ang ungas! PATALSIKIN NA, NOW NA!

  21. Mrivera Mrivera

    sino pa nga ba ang dapat paglaanan ng tunay na balita at pag-ulatan ng midya ng katotohanan? hindi ba’t ang taong bayan?
    kung ayaw maisulat nang masama, huwag gumawa ng lisya. at kung hindi gustong maging tampulan ng balita at makaladkad ang bawat kilos, huwag pumalaot sa serbisyo publiko na siyang laging pinagpipistahan ng mga mamamahayag bilang taliba ng katotohanan!
    hindi tamang IDIKTA sa midya na isulat at/o iulat kung ano lamang ang gusto nilang mabasa ng mamamayan na pabor sa kasalukuyang mapagpaimbabaw na administrasyon sapagkat nangangahulugan ito ng pakikipagsabwatan at pagkakanulo ng kanilang (mamamahayag) sinumpaang tungkulin na ang TUNAY lamang ang tatalakayin at ipababatid sa madla.
    naglisaw sa huwad na administrasyon ang mga BUWAYA at LINTA gayundin ang mga BERDUGONG sumusupil sa karapatan at kumikitil ng buhay ng mga kritikong sukang suka na sa umaalingasaw na kabulukan at ang gusto ba ni gloria ay pagtakpan ang lahat gayong nagdudumilat na may kinalaman siya at ang mga taong nasa paligid niya?
    ano pang katarungan ang matatamasa ng sambayanan kung mawawala sa hanay ng ating mga tagapamahayag ang mga katulad nina ellen, macasaet at iba pa na walang takot sa pagsisiwalat ng KATOTOHANAN sa pagsalunga sa ALON NG KATIWALIAN?

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