I love you
you love me
we’re a happy family
with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
wont you say you love me too!
“The Barney Theme Song”
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I Gogs, of sound mind and body have to declare that today August 18 in the year of our Lord 2012 that I have found something good to say about Noynoy BS Aquino. Noynoy is good to people who are good to him. Title of a prominent story in the Philippine Star on Friday “Noy To Grace Esposo Book Launch”. I love the choice of the word “grace”. If anything Noynoy has been quite awkward executing his duties. Whether it’s telling someone who has a right to his day in court to resign during his “day” in court or Noynoy’s smiling attempt at damage control after the Rolando Mendoza Hostage incident, I doubt anyone who consider his manner graceful.
First of all I am glad for anyone can ward off chronic kidney disease and try to be a beacon of hope to others who are suffering from it and potential sufferers like what this book by William Esposo hopes to do. I reguarly test myself that my glucose level is within an acceptable range for fear of one day being a full blown diabetic.
In the spirit of complete disclosure, I studied Communications as an undergrad. So learned about all sorts of things concerning the press: history, role, ethics and a lot more. What might be normal to some just might smell really bad to me. The emphasis on “to me”. Journalists are supposed to be your lens to reality. They are supposed to be credible to be of any use. Journalists ideally have to go about their jobs professionally. You maintain a professional distance between you and your subject. Being friendly will cloud judgement. Just like you can’t expect Franco Harris to be objective on the topic of his old coach possibly  culturally harboring a child rapist there is no way that the Lopez owned ABS CBN was ever going to be objective in the coverage of Noynoy Aquino’s campaign and presidential career.
Noynoy Aquino became our president when a perfect storm occurred. ABS CBN did a damn job playing the part of a Low Pressure Area. Cory Aquino fought a very public battle with cancer. Her death shortly before the campaign time period generated a wave of national sympathy which her only son coldly took out a surf board and glided smoothly into Malacanang.  ABS CBN helped pave the way and did their best to make Noynoy look like a credible president. Fortunately for them enough of the electorate cooperated by not using their craniums. So of course Noynoy will reward any and all so called professional journalists who helped make him look good enough to win the presidency and maintain it. William Esposo wrote a column trying to trivialize the Noynoying craze. Even that pales in comparison to Conrado De Quiros making Noynoy a guy who never made a name for himself as a cross between Luke Skywalker and Aragorn of LOTR.
 I think Fleet Scribbler has more credibility than many in the main stream press.
Personally I find it disturbing that he is far too chummy with people who cover or used to cover the political landscape. It really makes you question how much leeway they give or used to give Noynoy when they report on him now or reported on him during his campaign. Maybe I am wrong for wanting objectivity with my news coverage. I wonder how objective could Noynoy be when his opening day lineup (June 2010) consisted of the likes of Manuel Quezon III and Ricky Carandang. Both former members of ABS CBN news.Personally if those guys did their jobs properly Noynoy he of the onion skin would never select them as his personal staff. I have yet to see Noynoy embrace anybody who has been critical of him. I am critical of him because between you and me, I fear being embraced by him.     But I digress.
Ethically people covering our public servants should not be buddies  with their subjects. It will affect the message and people formulate opinions from those messages no matter how distorted they are. Then again this is the Philippines and this is Malacanang where many would argue I have no business expecting ethics and transparency. Someone should tell the President that people will cover their ears to his words but open their eyes to his actions. His actions show that he plays favorites with the press as Jojo Robles observes.  I am not sure what separates the press people that Noynoy favors from Freddy Lounds .
So Noynoy rewards his friends in the press by giving them Malacanang posts and showing up at their book launchings. Noynoy believes he is doing them a favor. What he is really doing is showing people who can think that many journalists and news outlets in this country are so compromised that the proverbial grain of salt is not enough. You will need the entire contents of the warehouses of the Morton’s company.
Putting a very sharp needle into the balloon known as Pinoy Pride since 2012.
Yes,crony capitalism at its best!YIPPIE!!!
On the other hand,”I got high friends in low places!”,never really gets anyone anywhere.
Doing someone a favor for future considerations is the way capitalism works,what else can anyone expect?
For favorable front-page news….Make my SUV with a leather interior,OK?
I am not anti capitalist but what happens here is the Philippines is capitalism plus disregard for rules plus people not smart enough to recognize a no no happening right in front of their eyes.
Yep,same as everywhere else! Just different talking-heads/yes men(?)doing the dirty work for the people who really run the show!
yes Ronnie. Noynoy is a puppet and his supporters do not realized what they have unleashed on the nation. A moron of epic proportions who makes decisions on self interest and interest of others who got him in. Thanks again to the Perfect storm that I mentioned. That is proof we are cursed.
That should be “do not realize” proof that I don’t have edit rights on this website.
It is all over the news. Mrs. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has a life threatening condition. The continuing persecution through demonization and black propaganda was facilitated by high friends in low places. What then if she dies because of it? She was denied due process and tagged guilty before trial. If this state of leadership continues and she dies then BS Aquino would have created a martyr. Imagine the repercussions of a state sponsored murder. Only in the Philippines!
And somebody else said that Noynoy’s own father was given chance to go to Boston. That guy will get karma and we will probably see it.
Super “Like”.:)
Empty head, empty heart, that’s PNoy!
Outside of the Philippines she is a nobody.No one will care either.A brief headline in a few newspapers,one line in the evening news broadcasts…YAWN!
I do not know if you are being sarcastic but the lady will never see the inside of a prison cell.The big deals that get made are all brokered by those in charge.COMMISSIONS/kickbacks,the name of the game.They can say they never took public money.Using influence is the same thing though,even worse as more peso’s involved commission wise.When people get greedy and do not share,that is when people get accused of things/hassled etc,etc.The second the pie is cut up to include those left out,VIOLA!Everything is solved.
My ncek is killin me!HA HA HA,sure it is!!!!
bt,State sponsored murder has been going on, all over the globe ,for centuries!
I don’t see Noynoy any more different from his opponents in politics. What he accuse them of seems to return as a bigger shot on him. Although he keeps on insisting to keep right along his daang matuwid, he himself always keeps on striking to the left. Come on, how can you manage your friends below you keep right consistently if you yourself being the driver, keeps on violating your own rules and the rule of law?
Noynoy is best example of vocally holier than thou yet his actions speak so loud we can’t hear what he is saying.
Ed,
After BS Aquino snapped at an ABSCBN function, of all places, you would think that media people are thinking twice before inviting him again, ally or not. Let’s ask a very basic question from a media person or celebrity’s point of view: what does BS Aquino’s attending my event add?
Not surprisingly, the answer is nothing.
Prestige? An incompetent do-nothing president hardly merits that.
Honor? Same banana.
Strengthening of ties with malaca..? OOPS.
So, as a media person or celebrity you want presidential influence, huh? Indeed, ethics in journalism here in the Philippines has been reduced to a six-letter word. The tradition continues: “I know this person and that person, therefore, I am a person of high social status!” What a bunch of BS.
You did not get my point, you already knew my point. And the book launching was just contemporary manifestation of something we already knew. Hence the Barney song. That is the way it is in Malacanang.
Spot on.
When will it all end?!!
Not during this administration that’s for sure. The thing with Noynoy he is so naive he has no idea that something he does will look bad. Then again you need some discretion in this country to see when things look bad.
I enjoy your articles because they make me think but they also make me laugh, which is a necessary act if you are to survive the Philippines. Your statement that you critique our president just to keep him from embracing you was completely funny. You’re right of course about our journalists having questionable integrity when they first report on PNoy and then become part of his close retinue of spinmeisters. These are worrying times.
Except for Jojo Robles who else questions this? The closeness on Noynoy to them. Thanks for the comments on the laughs too. I hope to sneak them in.
Indeed, there is little hope in this country. When our leaders have become hollow Slaves to PR, where is the leadership that we expected?
A-J
If you read my previous post about the Olympics, our countrymen do not look for leadership in a president so we should not expect leadership from the people elected.
Sensible post. Nakakatawa at may tama sa realidad. Pero tandaan na pati GMA at TV5 ay “unfair” rin minsan sa hindi pagrereport ng iba pang pangyayari deemed “critical” to the image of public “servants” (if they’re really servanst).
They are defenders of their magnates. Defenders of detrimental “status quo”.
My simple explanation for that is TV stations / newspapers will need sponsors as well as favors from politicians. I will scratch your back and you scratch mine. Noynoy to his credit or his naivete just makes it so obvious. He rewards in public. Has no cunning or discretion or poise or subtlety whatsoever. He is a bumbling goof. For him it’s out in the open. Inquirer and ABS CBN have done more Noynoy than the Pravda has done for Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. History lesson for you younger kids.
One more thing Carl Marks. If what I said in first reply is true, the more Get Real Philippines should be valued because speaking for myself I am beholden to no one except my conscience. You can see what I mean
http://edrlopez.blogspot.com/2009/05/oh-freedom-we-take-for-granted.html