The Palace was into damage control yesterday after President Aquino last Friday went overboard in berating former Vice President Noli de Castro, who now anchors the ABS-CBN primetime news program TV Patrol, who Aquino said was part of the problems, as a result of his six years of being Vice President, that the Aquino administration inherited from the previous regime.
Aquino’s deputy spokesman Abigail Valte admitted that Aquino’s speech contained scathing remarks against De Castro during the anniversary celebration of the television network’s news program, saying Aquino was merely stressing the need for media to give equal attention to the positive developments taking place under the Aquino administration.
Presidential Communications Group Secretary Sonny Coloma also jumped into the fray saying Aquino’s gripes were not specifically intended for De Castro or the ABS-CBN news program “but for all media-men.”
Coloma said on radio Aquino’s speech last Friday had the same theme when he spoke before a news organization in the past, as well as when he addressed the Philippine Press Institute (PPI).
“His message was for members of media to exercise balanced and truthful reporting which is what the nation expects from the Fourth Estate,” he said.
“If we can recall that was the Philippine Press Institute in its task of upholding the standards ng journalism,” he added.
Valte said Aquino wanted to stress that media give equal attention as well to the good news. “We have a number of positive developments and the public should be informed of the good news,” Valte said.
At the anniversary celebration of a primetime news program where he was invited to speak, Aquino assailed the people behind it for giving too much prominence to bad news while taking swipes at its anchor De Castro over what the President described as “skeptical, out-of-place snide remarks about otherwise good stories by the field reporters.”
Aquino specifically mentioned an October 2011 positive news report about Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, which met with de Castro”s skepticism. The story was about a 200-percent spike in passenger arrivals at the terminal.
The following day, Aquino who was invited as guest in an event of a business daily, again lashed at the media who he accused of having the mentality of “crabs” for seeking the most negative of news stories.
Aquino, who has already made three strikes in what local journalist described as “un-presidential behavior,” first delivered the blow to the local media in a gathering of publishers.
Even reporters covering Malacanang Palace have had unpleasant experiences where the highest elective official was cordoned by overzealous presidential bodyguards and represented in press briefings by his evasive spokesmen.
Coloma, nevertheless, claimed Aquino was open to criticisms but echoed the President’s demand for supposedly balanced and responsible journalism.
“We are only asking for balanced reporting based on facts, there is no intention to impose prior restraint because we adhere to press freedom,” he said.
“The point that the President wants to drive at is media can be an instrument for change through the dissemination of positive news stories which will be instrumental in encouraging pur countrymen,” he said.