Duterte blasts media

organizations for
'unfair, twisted'
coverage
By Audrey
Morallo (philstar.com) |
Updated March 30,
2017 - 7:33pm
President Rodrigo
Duterte, seen giving a
speech in this March
29, 2017 photo in
Barangay Batong Dalig,
Socorro town in
Oriental Mindoro,
severely criticized some
media organizations on
Thursday for their
unfair coverage of his
administration.
PCOO/Rolando Mailo
MANILA, Philippines
(Updated 8:03 p.m.)
— President Rodrigo
Duterte gave an
expletive-laden speech
against two Philippine
media organizations on
Thursday as he blasted
their alleged propensity
to lie and distort his
statements.
The president’s remarks
at the oath-taking of
newly-appointed
government officials
and members of
Philippine Councilors’
League are his latest
against some media
organizations he
perceived to be unfair
in their coverage of his
administration.
Duterte used as
example the coverage
of a newspaper and a
television station of
some of his
pronouncements on the
government’s war on
drugs and during his
presidential campaign
last year.
He accused a
newspaper of twisting
and cherry-picking his
words to make his war
on drugs seem like a
war on the poor.
“Alam mo kung
maniwala kayo diyan sa
mga [media], maraming
ano diyan virulent ang
ano... Lalo na yung mga
istasyon...lalo yung
ABS (ABS-CBN),
Inquirer, natalo yung
kandidato nila,” the
president said.
“They become really
vicious and virulent.
Ganun yan. Mabasa,
makita mo naman
talagang tinitwist nila.
Yung slant na slant.
Sinasadya nila. They do
not complete the
sentence. They zero in
on the adjective or kung
however you describe
the situation.”
The president angrily
said, “Tingnan mo yung
Inquirer. Ang sinasabi
ko sila ang may sabi na
pinapatay ko raw ang
mahihirap. Alam mo
ang Inquirer kahapon,
talagang ... Basura
talaga yan pati yung
eleksyon. ‘The poor
will be killed.’ Tingnan
mo kung mag-slant.”
The president accused
the media corporations
of portraying him
negatively because their
preferred candidate in
last year’s election lost.
“Galit sila kapag natalo
yung kandidato nila.
Hindi ko na lang
pinapakinggan, hindi ko
na lang binabasa.
Except, of course, yung
factual news kung ano
nangyari tong araw na
ito, pero itong mga
opinion na araw na ito
they have a lot of ass
talaga as in ass,” he
said.
The president has been
known to make remarks
that are later on
clarified and explained
by his spokespersons
and subordinates. The
administration has also
taken to blaming media
for reports that do not
portray it in a good
light.
Before the president's
speech on
Thursday, presidential
spokesman Ernesto
Abella accused the New
York Times of being
part of a "well-funded
campaign" to discredit
Duterte.
Presidential
Communications
Secretary Martin
Andanar, who has since
been tasked with
administrative work,
has also locked horns
with reporters in the
past.
He previously alluded
to Duterte critics
bribing journalists
covering the Senate to
attend a press
conference where
retired policeman
Arthur Lascañas
claimed to be a member
of the supposed Davao
Death Squad vigilante
group. Andanar later
claimed he did not
accuse the Senate
media of accepting
bribes.
In January, Andanar
also accused reporters
covering Duterte of
misquoting the
president's remarks on
martial law. This
prompted a protest from
the Malacañang Press
Corps.
"The media has no
obligation to please or
satisfy its sources
because its loyalty is to
the citizens, those who
will be affected by the
actions of people who
are far more powerful
than them," the group
said in a statement.
Election coverage hit
Last year’s media
coverage also did not
escape the president’s
attention as he slammed
news organizations that
reported on the alleged
P200 million in his
bank accounts.
Duterte dared anyone to
prove that he indeed
had P200 million in his
account. He said that if
someone would be able
to do this, he would
immediately resign.
“Tell them to get a
statement. Bakit ako
magbigay sa kalaban
ko? Is there really P200
million sa account ko, I
will resign tomorrow.
Yan ang hamon ko sa
lahat. If my children get
involved in corruption,
I will gladly step down.
Yan ang totoo,” he said.
“Dapat may magsabi sa
inyo ngayon, p*****
i** niyo, sinobrahan
ninyo ang kalokohan
ninyo. Dapat talaga.
Somebody should say
‘p********.’ Baka
takot magsabi. Pag
makita kitang may-ari,
‘p*******, bastos ka’,”
he said.
Duterte also did not like
media speculations on
his health after an
oxygen concentrator
was seen in some
photos that appeared on
his birthday.
“Marami pang
speculations diyan na
may sakit ako. Bakit
ang lolo mo, hindi
namatay? Gago talaga
itong mga p******.
Kayong mga Prieto,
kayong mga Lopez did
your grandfathers live
forever?” he said,
referring to the owners
of the two media
companies.
Environment Secretary
Gina Lopez,
incidentally, is from the
same family that owns
ABS-CBN. She was
previously head of the
ABS-CBN Foundation.
The chief executive
said that there was no
reason for him to lie.
He added that he was a
“straight” person who
would just tell the truth.
He said that he
regretted running for
the presidency because
of the press peddling
lies about him.
Duterte also hinted that
he might have a daily
show on government
station PTV-4 to
counter the negative
press coverage he has
been receiving.
Inquirer: We uphold
highest standards of
journalism
The Philippine Daily
Inquirer, one of the
companies severely
criticized by the
president, released a
statement, saying that it
“takes exception to
President Duterte’s
remarks” and
emphasized that since
its founding in 1985, it
has been observing the
highest standards in
journalism.
“The Philippine Daily
Inquirer takes exception
to President Duterte’s
remarks that the
newspaper has been
unfair in its coverage of
him and his
administration,” Jose
Ma. Nolasco, the
paper’s executive
editor, said in a
statement.
“Since its founding in
1985, the Inquirer has
upheld the highest
standards of excellence
in journalism. Even as
we’ve courageously
pursued the truth in our
coverage, we’ve
endeavored to get the
administration’s side of
any controversy,” he
added.
The newspaper said that
it even runs a weekly
column that publishes
the views of Cabinet
officials on
administration polices
and even the
personality of the
president himself.
Nolasco said that its
wide readership and
awards, prizes and
citations from local and
international
organizations “attest to
its adherence to
accuracy, fairness and
balance in its
reporting.”
ABS-CBN has yet issue
as statement as of this
post.
The National Union of
Journalists of the
Philippines, meanwhile,
defended the Inquirer
and ABS-CBN and
criticized Duterte for
what it called a “brazen
abuse” of his authority.
The group said that
such words from the
chief executive showed
little appreciation for
democracy and
governance and the
mindset of a tyrant who
flaunted the laws of the
land just because he
was a public official.
“It was a brazen abuse
of your immense power
as chief executive of
this land and only
shows how little, if any,
appreciation you have
of democracy and
governance,” NUJP
said.
“It is a mindset of the
petty tyrant who
mistakenly believes
public office is an
entitlement that allows
you to flaunt the laws
of the land that both
grant you power and
ensure the checks that
prevent you from
abusing that power.”
It said that it would not
expect any apology
from the president
considering his past
actions on similar
issues. It added that to
expect the president to
apologize was “an
exercise in futility.”
It also vowed to
continue informing the
people of what’s
happening the country
despite Duterte’s
curses, threats and
tirades against the
press.
“But one thing we can
assure you of, Sir, your
curses and your threats
cannot and will not
prevent us, the
community of
independent Filipino
journalists, from
fulfilling our duty to
inform the people as
best we can of what is
happening to our
country, whether you
agree with what we
report or not,” the
group said.
‘Oligarchs’
Duterte also assailed
the Prietos and
Lopezes, the families
who own Inquirer and
ABS-CBN respectively,
describing them as
oligarchs and “full of
s***.”
“That’s what ails the
Philippine society. It’s
the corrupt media, the
Prietos and the Lopezes
who are money-faced
and the Church. The
oligarchs of this
country,” the president
said.
“Journalism is
antagonistic. That’s
their role. Huwag lang
sobrahan (just do not
cross the line). Kayong
mga Prieto, Lopez,
you’re full of s***,” he
added.
Duterte said he is ready
to counter the tirades
against him using state-
run television station
PTV 4.
“Eh di ako kuha ako ng
programa araw-araw
dito sa PTV 4 bastusin
ko rin kayo (I’ll just
have a daily program in
PTV-4 and I’ll malign
you there),” the
president said.
“Kung ganun,
puputahin ko kayo
araw-araw. Iistorya ko
mga buhay ng anak
niyo. Huwag ninyo
masyadong sobrahan.
Di naman ako
maghuremantado (If
you’re like that. I will
curse at you everyday
or I will make stories
about your children. I
will not go berserk). I
will give your dues
also,” he said during an
event of Go Negosyo
also on Thursday.
Duterte also lambasted
the Catholic Church
anew for the supposed
abuses committed by
the clergy. The Church,
the religious affiliation
of more than 80 percent
of Filipinos, has been
criticizing the spate of
killings linked to
Duterte’s war on drugs.
“That religion will
become passé in the
next 30 years,” the
president said. — with
a report by Alexis
Romero