Malacañang is banking on two top government media bureau executives to clean up the mess and hopefully patch up the gap that resulted from the tactless attacks made against former Vice President Noli de Castro by President Aquino, who now faces the ire of the entire media sector over what seemed as
irresponsible and reckless assaults on the media industry.
Simultaneously, reported efforts to compel a top television network’s boss to  sanction TV Patrol anchor de Castro, whom the President criticized during the anniversary celebration of the news program, are also seen to have started with the revelation of a network executive.
Communications Secretaries Sonny Coloma and Ricky Carandang will separately take measures to appease what seems to be an extremely furious media sector, whom Aquino bashed in three instances when he was invited supposedly as guest speaker but turned out as a hostile guest in all three media occasions.
Their efforts however could be spoiled by what is seen to be the part of the President’s plan to compel the corporate executives of ABS-CBN network to place de Castro either on suspension or floating status.
No less than the ABS-CBN network Ombudsman’s office confirmed having received a letter from a a certain Victor del Rosario of Naval town in Biliran Province. In his letter, Del Rosario allegedly urged the TV network to seriously ponder President Aquino’s tirades against De Castro’s supposed skeptical remarks on news feeds seen as positive developments in line with the Aquino administration programs.
At the 25th anniversary of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol at the Manila Hotel last Friday, Aquino, known for his passion for target shooting, aimed at De Castro whom he described as deflating news reports on the country’s progress by way of making nasty side comments.
Aquino’s attack on de Castro was not the first he made against the media, he had also branded the Philippine press as having a “crab mentality.” With the members of the media getting to be the favorite target of the President, coupled by the phenomenally high incidence of media killings, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines deplored the Malacañang chief executive and his spokesman Edwin Lacierda for taking on the legitimate media every time the administration was dragged into an embarrassment resulting from their own doings.
In a strongly worded statement, NUJP secretary general Rowena Paraan assailed what she referred to as the ‘whine and bash routine” of the President against his favorite whipping boy, the media.
National Press Club president Benny Antiporda in a call to this reporter likewise lamented the manner in which the government has been treating the legitimate members of the working press.
Antiporda however maintained that the NPC was taking a position that had nothing to do with the political differences and the conflict between the President and De Castro, seen as either personal or political.
The NUJP official likewise lambasted Lacierda, who, she said, even managed to reiterate what should have been obvious — that the Presidential broadside against De Castro was not only personal, it was a message to the Philippine media as a whole, the same message, they noted, that Aquino delivered at another silver anniversary that same day, that of BusinessWorld.
Paraan said that while the NUJP did not want to be dragged into what seemed either personal or political animosity between Aquino and the former VP, media shouldn’t be made as “a spar mate to whom jabs are thrown at will without worrying retaliation.”
“We shall not dwell on the propriety or correctness of Mr. Aquino’s personal attack on De Castro for switching from media to politics and back again and seemingly mixing up the two.
She spoke of NUJP plan seen to ensure protection of Filipino journalists against “loose cannons” from the government — apparently referring to the tactless President and his spokesman Lacierda for trying to dictate to the media.
“But we shall not remain silent when he accuses us, not just of ‘negativity and sensationalism,’ but of actually robbing our people of the chance and the capacity to dream. And we certainly shall not take it sitting down when he deigns to tell us how to go about our work and what to put into it,” she added.
Even the journalists covering Malacañang have had their taste of the Presidential tantrums, Cabinet policy designed to isolate critical reporters and overzealous presidential bodyguards who in many instances manhandled both male and female journalists.
Malacañang however has warded off claims that Aquino was dictating what reports should be carried by broadcast and print media.
Short of calling journalists liars, Lacierda said they only wanted to urge media to carry factual reports and avoid giving negative opinions.
De Castro has remained mum on Aquino’s tongue lashing. De Castro was Vice President during the term of Arroyo
Surprisingly, Lacierda managed to boast of what appeared to be ridiculous. He denied Aquino’s tirade on the media sector elicited negative comments against the President.
“We monitored the media stations—the comments in those online publications that came out. The public felt very strongly in favor of the President. There were, however, comments coming from certain media personalities,” he said.
Aside from the NUJP and the NPC, other media groups who seemed eager to gang up on Aquino and his spokesman Lacierda are the Burgos Media Center, Alab ng Mamamahayag (Alam), Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), Alyansa ng Filipinong Mamamahayag (Afima) and other province-based press guilds.