We are glad that Facebook has restored the account of journalist Inday Espina-Varona after it was erroneously blocked last Monday morning.
What happened to Inday’s FB account shows how things have gotten out- of -control with Facebook, the social media phenomenon with over 1.79 billion users, almost a fourth of the world’s population.
Monday evening, when I visited Inday’s vibrant FB page, I got this advisory: “Sorry, this content isn’t available right now.
Many were afraid that the Ombudsman ‘s office would just sit on the case because of Morales’ relations with the President.
Morales is the sister of lawyer Lucas Carpio Jr, the father-in-law of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of the President.
In a talk with reporters after she delivered a stirring speech at the UP Alumni Homecoming Friday, Morales said although she has inhibited herself from the case, “ it is undergoing investigation.”
By VERA Files
President Duterte welcomes media’s role as watchdog even as he considers it a partner in informing the people about what the government is doing for them, a Palace official said.
In a message he delivered in behalf of Press Secretary Martin Andanar at the launching of the Media Ownership Monitor (MOM) website ((http://philippines.mom-rsf.org/ ), Thursday last week, Press Undersecretary Enrique Tandan said, “President Duterte believes that, as partners for change, the members of the media have a huge responsibility in keeping the government institutions in check. Change happens when there is a constant voice that keeps the government up on its feet, making sure that no detail will go unknown from the public eye.”
But the President also wants media to be a partner in delivering the government’s messages to the people. ‘’For the President, this is how the media works as the government’s sidekick, so to speak,” Tandan said.
Pres. Duterte is welcomed by AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda upon his arrival at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City from Peru. Nov. 23, 2016. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.
So it was not jet lag that was the reason why President Duterte was absent in the gala dinner heads of state attending the 2017 Leaders Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima, Peru last Saturday as he earlier told reporters. It’s stomach upset.
In his interview at the Wireless Catholic Cemetery in Davao City Wednesday, he was asked for his reaction to the criticism of former President Fidel Ramos about his absence in two APEC events in Peru: one was the dinner Saturday and the other was the traditional group photo on Sunday.
Ramos said the gala night could have been an opportunity for Duterte to exchange ideas with world leaders and sickness is an unacceptable alibi to skip such an important gathering. Besides, a doctor is always part of the presidential delegation if the President was not feeling well.
Here are some more of the gems from her speech which Filipino journalists can identify with:
Stop banalizing the Truth
“I believe in being truthful, not neutral. And I believe we must stop banalizing the truth.
And we have to be prepared to fight especially hard for the truth in a world where the Oxford English Dictionary just announced its word of 2016: “post-truth.”
President Duterte’s absence in two traditional events in the 2017 summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC once again raises the need for Malacañang to inform the public of the health of the 71-year old chief executive.
We know it’s a sensitive subject for Duterte but the public’s concern is valid and recognized by the Constitutional provision of “the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.”
Section 12 of Art. VII states that, “In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall be informed of the state of his health. “
First things first: I’d like to thank each and every one who took time to attend the whole day launch and conference of the Media Ownership Monitor Philippines (http://philippines.mom-rsf.org/ ) last Thursday.
My special thanks to Press Undersecretary Enrique Tandan who delivered the keynote address in behalf of Press Secretary Martin Andanar, who was in Lima, Peru with President Duterte for the APEC summit; Atty Romel Bagares, who did the legal assessment of media ownership in the Philippines; and the four panelists – Ging Reyes, head of Integrated News and Current Affairs, ABS-CBN Corporation; John Nery, editor in chief, Inquirer.net and opinion columnist, Philippine Daily Inquirer; Prof. Clarissa David of the Philippine Competition Commission and the Graduate Studies Department, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines; and Bobi Tiglao, Manila Times columnist and author of the book, Colossal Deception- How Foreigners Control our Telecoms Sector.
The participants enjoyed the lively exchanges among the panelists –especially between Tiglao and Nery- which happens only in a gathering of learned and strong- minded personalities.
MOM is a joint project of Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) Germany and VERA Files (disclosure: I’m a trustee of VERA Files) which both believe that media ownership matters in the quality and credibility of the news that the public gets.
Oftentimes, many people including government officials blame media for the many problems that they face in their governance.
Media-bashing was a standard fare in many of the speeches of former President Aquino. President Duterte has followed the same line.
Although the media-bashing reflects a warped appreciation of the role of media, it is also a recognition of the power of media- in its role as a vehicle of information to the public.
By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files
IF newly elected US President Donald Trump makes good his campaign threat to pull the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he might also pull the plug on the its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines.
Trump has called the international security alliance “obsolete,” saying it “is costing US a fortune.” He said as much about America’s other alliances in Asia.
These observations were contained in a pre-election research by the East West Center in Washington, D.C. that examined Trump’s pronouncements before the Nov. 8 election, focusing on key Asian issues as part of the “Asia Matters for America and America Matters for Asia” project.
Two things came to our mind when we read about President Duterte’s threat of suspending the writ of habeas corpus if lawlessness in Mindanao worsens.
Number one, his “Kill, Kill” strategy in eradicating the illegal drug problem is not solving the problem despite 4,000 killed.
Number two, the public has been desensitized by all these killings. Duterte knows the public won’t might if he takes his violation of human rights a notch higher.
In a speech at the launching of the Pilipinong May Puso Foundation in Davao City on Friday, he made his usual narration of the gravity of the illegal drug problem in the country. This time, he added the “rebellion” in Mindanao (“Grabe ang bakbakan…”).
“At kung magkalat itong still lawlessness, I might be forced to..” he paused saying it is not something he likes; “Ayaw ko, ayaw ko. Warning ko lang sa kanila ‘yan, ayaw ko kasi hindi maganda.”