The President's Tirade Against ABS-CBN: A Fit of Pique, or Valid Criticism?

Last Friday, during the 25th anniversary celebration of broadcast giant ABS-CBN's news program "TV Patrol", President Noynoy Aquino took the opportunity to take the program, and one of its anchors, former Vice-President Noli De Castro, to task for what the President termed as negative reporting and "baseless speculations".

While the President didn't name De Castro in his speech, he did allude to a former government official who had held the reins of power for six years, according to the Rappler report. The President also cited particular news stories, such as the NBI's solving of a kidnapping, wherein the alluded-to broadcaster appeared to imply, without giving proof, that some sort of scam was going on between the NBI and the kidnappers.

At the same time, the President also questioned the broadcaster's catch-phrase "Magandang gabi, bayan," (good evening, nation) since, immediately after saying it, the broadcaster would then launch into reports of killings or whatever heinous crime was committed that particular day. This reminds me of ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda" (What a beautiful morning), wherein the show's hosts also do the same thing.

Admittedly, negative reporting sells; whether it's our collective schadenfreude, wherein we take perverse pleasure at the misfortune of others, or whether it's simply more eye-catching than positive news, is anybody's guess. As Inquirer columnist John Nery notes, "Tens of thousands of airplanes take off and land every single day; that is not news. A single crash fills the airwaves and the front pages."

Predictably, various media entities have spoken up on the issue, and, based on what I've read, the reactions tend to depend on whether one is pro-Aquino or anti-Aquino. In the Philippine Star, Aquino supporter William Esposo uses the incident to make a general commentary on the state of Philippine media, while fellow columnist Bobit Avila grudgingly concedes that the President may have had a point about "TV Patrol", but castigates the President for his apparent rudeness at a social gathering, especially since the broadcast company has been perceived to be supportive of the President. Another Star columnist, Babe Romualdez, observed that it wasn't the first time the President has done something like this, that he had lambasted former Chief Justice Renato Corona at a conference where Corona was present. Romualdez, though, sees the President as "straightforward", saying what he believes without sugarcoating it.

Yet another Star columnist, Federico Pascual, noted that if the media dishes out criticism, it had better be ready to take it.

A youth group, Anakbayan, criticized the President for "attacking press freedom" and saying that the President's tirade was indicative of an "intolerant regime". Looking at Anakbayan's official site, however, gives me the feeling that it is a leftist organization, and I tend to be wary of pronouncements made by such groups. I can imagine such groups as Bayan and Gabriela coming out with similar condemnations of the President's tirade.

In my case, I agree with the President that the media does tend to spotlight the negative news a little too much. At the same time, I'm turned off by the bombastic style of news reporting adopted by major networks, which is why I tend to watch ANC's news reporting, which is calmer and more professional.

The media also tends to put a spin on its reporting, whether in print or on TV. It's not surprising to read a news story in the Inquirer or The Daily Tribune, and note that the reporter has already made editorial comments in the opening paragraph. And it's true that on TV news, so-called anchors, like De Castro, put their own spin on the news stories, instead of reporting what actually happened.

I remember a story written by Kurt Busiek for Astro City, wherein a young reporter found himself in a fantastic conflict, but wound up only reporting that which could be verified. That's how professional news reporting should be: a clear report of verified facts, delivered without bias. Our local media could learn a thing or two from that story.

At the same time, however, the President should make sure that his officials are actually doing something good for the nation. Otherwise, he will appear to be overly sensitive of criticism, and lose credibility in the eyes of the people.

My Phones Across the Years

Last Sunday, I lost my cell phone; it apparently fell out of my pocket when I was outside my parents' house, and, while I'm still hoping whoever found it will find it in his or her heart to return it, I'm not overly optimistic. While I was just about ready to replace it, what will be difficult to rebuild will be the contact list. Still, it's not irreplaceable, and I should be back in communication soon.

It got me to thinking, though, about how the phones I've used over the years have changed. It's not as if I got the top-of-the-line gadget, since my needs and my budget didn't really call for such. I really just needed a phone for texting and calls, so I didn't really go out of my way to buy an expensive phone.

I started out with the durable Nokia 5110, which lasted me for all of six years, and would've been longer if I hadn't dropped it so many times. The 5110 was basic and sturdy, although the antenna sticking out made it difficult to keep inside my pants pocket.

When it finally broke down, my dad passed on his 3310, which I used for about 3 years. What I liked about the 3310 is that it had a composer, and, once I got the hang of the coding, I managed to create some of my favorite tunes to use as my ring tones. Being the geek that I am, I composed "The Incredibles" theme, and the theme from "Wallace and Gromit", and it was always a kick to see the reaction of my friends whenever my phone went off.

I'm not sure anymore if that phone simply broke down or got lost (in the same way that my current phone was lost), but, when it came time to replace it, I got the phone that I recently lost, a Nokia 5130, which I got because of the fact that it had an mp3 player (only 2GB of micro-SD space, though). I like to listen to music when I'm on the go, and I managed to fill the micro-SD with some of my favorite tunes. My text tone was the theme from "Airwolf", and the ring tone was "This Kiss" by Faith Hill.

Recently, though, the SD slot malfunctioned, which made me start considering getting another phone. Then, of course, it got lost last Sunday, and now, I need to think about replacing the phone, since I need it to keep in contact with people both business-wise and personal.

I'm also not sure if I should get a subscribed line or stick with prepaid. If I get a subscribed line, at least I get a free phone out of it, but I'm not really a heavy user, and a P500 prepaid load would last me almost two months. At any rate, I should get a new phone soon, and I'll be back in contact with the world.

UAAP Men's Basketball: Archers Clawed by Eagles

Whether one talks to an Ateneo or La Salle fan, the perception remains the same: one cannot rely on stats and previous match-ups in predicting the outcome of the rivalry game. All of that is thrown out the window as the Blue Eagles and Green Archers clash in the UAAP men's basketball competition.

That appeared to be the case in last Saturday's game, which Ateneo won, 71-61. While the score seemed to be a runaway, such was not the case as La Salle put up a terrific fight, especially in the third quarter, before succumbing to Ateneo's championship experience.

The Green Archers managed to come back from a woeful first half that saw them down by as many as 17 points, although they had managed to cut it down to 9 by the end of the first half. The third quarter was different as La Salle let loose a blistering pace that resulted in the Archers' taking the lead, if only momentarily. Ateneo managed to recover, though, and ended the third quarter leading by 3.

In the fourth quarter, Ateneo managed to regain its composure, and never trailed again. Ravena and Salva hit key baskets, leaving the Archers scrambling under pressure.

Perhaps the game was settled with 44 seconds to go, and Ateneo leading by 6. La Salle coach Gee Abanilla called a time-out, only to see it go to waste as Jeron Teng was unable to inbound the ball, resulting in a turnover, which sealed the Archers' fate.

With the win, Ateneo remains a game behind unbeaten FEU, which had its first blowout victory over a hapless UE, 92-66. With the loss, La Salle falls to 2-2, tied with erstwhile preseason favorite NU. It's still a long way to go, though, before any clear favorite emerges.


With four games safely gone, Ateneo has a fairly light schedule to close up the first round of eliminations, with UP, UE, and FEU remaining, as only FEU can be considered a real threat. Still, the defending champions cannot let their guard down; the only true problem for this Blue Eagles team is complacency.

Snag in the JBC Process

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has completed its interviewing of the 20 candidates for the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (SC), and is set to vote on its shortlist to the President.

There is, however, a snag to the process, in the form of a non-participating Congress. The reason for this is because of the Supreme Court's ruling that, as per the wording of the Constitution, there should be only one representative of Congress in the JBC. Currently, the JBC has two members: Senator Francis Escudero and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas, who actually hadn't been participating in the interviews. Congress has filed for a motion of reconsideration (MR) regarding the SC's decision, arguing that the Constitution doesn't take into consideration the bicameral nature of Congress.

As a result, the JBC postponed its vote, which should have been held today, to Thursday, presumably to give the SC time to rule on Congress' MR.

I doubt, though, that the SC will budge on the issue. The wording of the Constitution is pretty clear: it states that the JBC composition includes "a representative of Congress". "A", of course, is singular, which means that, unless the Constitution is changed, Congress may have to go back to an alternating system of voting, which is what I think it followed prior to 2001. At any rate, it seems unfair that the legislative arm of government should have two representatives in the JBC, while the executive and judiciary arms only have one.

By not participating in the JBC deliberations, Congress has created a situation wherein the President's choice of Chief Justice may be questioned, due to the possible irregular procedures that currently exist. As it is, since both the acting Chief Justice, Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and the Secretary of Justice, Leila de Lima, are candidates for the Chief Justice position, both have inhibited themselves from the JBC deliberations, and substitutes were appointed (Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta and Justice Undersecretary Michael Musngi for Justice Carpio and Secretary de Lima, respectively). According at least to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, these substitutions may also be questioned in the future.

It appears to me that Congress may be feeling pretty powerful after flexing its muscles in the impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona. However, in this case, it would be wrong of them to question the Supreme Court's decision, since the decision is firmly based on the Constitution. 

Quick Post: Classes Suspended

With the rains coming down in torrents, the Quezon City government, along with other Metro Manila cities, has suspended classes from preschool to high school. It's good that they've done this, since the last time it rained hard, Q.C. government officials suspended classes a little late.

Of course, the suspension of classes may raise a din once more from those who are looking to move the school start to September, and to them, I say nay. There are just too many factors which will make such a move difficult, if not impossible.

In the meantime, while the rain appears to have abated for now, I hope everyone remains alert and calm in the face of the rains. Stay safe, everyone.

The President's SONA: A Quick Comment

It is a few hours before President Aquino's State of the Nation Address (SONA). Already, protesters and police have taken their respective positions along Commonwealth Ave., and later, this afternoon, the President will address the joint session of Congress, as well as various dignitaries both foreign and local, about his accomplishments from the past year, and his plans for the coming year.

Militants and anti-Aquino columnists such as Rigoberto Tiglao and Amado Doronilla will likely turn up their noses at what the President is going to say. Such people have already prejudged the President in their minds, and will say negative things about the President regardless of what he actually says.

Pro-Aquino columnists and supporters such as William Esposo and Conrado de Quiros are likely to extol the President whatever he says. Like the side opposing them, these people have already formed their positive image of the President, and, based on their writings, nothing the President does will ever be negative in their eyes.

In my case, I don't really put much stock in what each President says at the SONA, since a good amount of it is simply ego-polishing and empty words. What is important is that we look at what the President and his team have actually done, and base our expectations on those.

That being said, I will probably sit down and listen to what President Aquino has to say, if only to note what he promises, and be observant over the next year whether he fulfills those promises. Perhaps it is the optimist in me, as I continue to believe that some of those promises will actually be kept. Only time will tell, until the next SONA.

Quick Sum-Up

It's been another busy month so far, which meant no time for writing. So far, this month, I've missed writing about:

1. the passing of both Ernest Borgnine, the long-time actor, and Stephen McCovey, the author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People";
2. the continuing run-up to next year's elections, although I'll probably still have time to write about it anyway;
3. the continuing problem of China's repeated intrusions into our territory, and our inability to act on it;
4. the start of the UAAP men's basketball season;
5. on the local side, the stupidity of asphalting over manholes along the roads across Metro Manila;
6. the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Aquino; and
7. the current moves of Congress to dance the Cha-Cha.

I should try to set a scheduled time for writing each day, so that I can continue to practice my writing craft.

Requiem, Comedy King

One of the more memorable quotes by the late Rodolfo Vera Quizon, Jr., also known as "Dolphy" would have to be (in English) "It's easy to win in an election, but what if I won?" The quote merely illustrates the sheer humility of the man who kept Filipinos in stitches for many decades.

Requiem, King of Comedy. Be reunited with Marsha, and the Crazy Company. Thank you for giving so much of yourself to the Filipino people. You will be missed.