In a Facebook status which has garnered some attention, it was highlighted that Oscar Pineda, a journalist working for Sunstar Cebu, asked president Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino during a press briefing about the apparently inadequate support for typhoon victims and the snail-paced rehabilitation efforts in northern Cebu.
Two Thumbs up for Oscar Pineda of Sunstar Cebu. A friend and colleague, Oscar put in squarely to President Aquino the question of the slow phase of the typhoon Yolanda rehab work in the Visayas. Napikon Si Noynoy Aquino. Nobody dared to ask that painful question. From CNN Anderson Cooper perhaps but not from Pinoy journalists. But he did not meet yet the journalists from Cebu. Iba ang mga journalists from the Bisaya Homeland. They are among the best. What Oscar did was an epic veterans move. During out-of-town prescons with the president, the Philippine Information Agency and the Office of the Press Secretary screened the questions by asking reporters to submit them ahead. I was told Oscar submitted a different set of question and when his time was up to ask, “Boom” the question about the slow rehab work. It blew the top of President Aquino who blurted out that unfair ang media to look always at the negative side. Kudos Oscar! you asked the question that lingered in the minds of the millions of Typhoon Yolanda victims. “Where is the government?” Coming from you it was indeed a Ninja Move!
According to Cebu Daily News, this question from Pineda caused BS Aquino to blow his top.
Pineda, who was the only Cebu-based journalist allowed to shoot a question during the press briefing, told of a growing restiveness among typhoon victims who felt neglected by the national government three months after Yolanda hit northern Cebu.
This did not sit well with Mr. Aquino, who responded: “To say that no (relief goods) came seemed absurd. We’re going to Bantayan (island) now. Perhaps, I wouldn’t be going to Bantayan if the people are mad at me, isn’t that so?”
He said the reporter could just get all the data of government’s relief efforts from Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, but later decided to talk lengthily on what his administration has done, thus far, to help the victims get back on their feet.
Questioning the veracity of the reporter’s assertion, he said, “Well, I hope you have details (on the particular) place, so that I can answer directly.”
“And, if you want to, you can come with us to Bantayan. We’ll see if they hate us,” he added.
Whether the typhoon victims hate your government or not totally misses the point, mister President. The reporter wasn’t asking about what your administration has done, but what it intends to do. The typhoon victims haven’t the slightest idea about that three months after the calamities struck, and apparently your government doesn’t either.
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In that same report, BS Aquino appealed to media to “highlight” positive developments, and he added that the scale of the needed relief was “no joke”.
Recall that BS Aquino’s government was criticized hard for its lethargic and at times highly politicized response with the typhoon Yolanda relief aid. More than three months after the calamities struck, apparently many areas are still waiting for relief. BS Aquino was even reported to have snubbed a party of Yolanda survivors who came to Manila to protest the slow government aid.
BS Aquino is also notorious for being utterly hypersensitive to criticism and to bad news. He and his government are too image-conscious and want only good news being reported. They are also known for “sanitizing” and answering only questions which they have a canned answer to and which they can spin “positively”. When the reality does finally hit him, as the unemployment figures and a visit to an area in Davao hit by a previous typhoon have pointed out, he could only react in disbelief and in a baffled manner.
BS Aquino’s government does not act, it reacts, which could explain why it stumbles repeatedly over itself to propose band-aid solutions instead of proactive and preventive ones to the chronic problems in Filipino society. But then again, this reactive trait is one of Filipinos in general too, so no surprise.
Mr. Pineda’s episode comes at a time when the talk among the chattering classes is the recent display of sloppy reporting by ABS-CBN regarding a “flesh-eating disease” discovered in Pangasinan. Mainstream media in the Philippines is recently not only getting known more and more for bogus, misleading, and at times utterly fallacious reporting, it is also known for being very subservient and unquestioning of government and public affairs. Instead of living up to their role as watchdog, they instead embrace the role of lapdog, attack dog, and propaganda machine.
As some would say, faith in humanity restored, even if only for a very fleeting moment.
However, an even less obvious, but just as important, point will fly over Filipinos’ heads:
Why is it hard to find people here in the Philippines who do their job properly?
If that question doesn’t cause discomfort among Filipinos, then they deserve their wretched society, and their image-conscious, incompetent, and utterly clueless government officials.
[Photo courtesy: Froilan Gallardo]
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
As I have said in the other article, parang basagulerong bading.
He is like a toddler in a playground being bullied and saying, sumbong kita kay soliman, ‘lika sumama ka kung gusto mo.
What an ijet!
And yes, he is a bading, walang bayag. Now he is following the whims of the MILF by releasing a known MILF commander and a criminal.
We want Barrabas! He does all these things to get out of a jam in the moment . This guy is doing stuff that will be evident in the years to come and everyone else will see what a wimp most of us here always knew he was. What do you expect from a guy who had nothing to show for in his adult life except dead parents?
I agree. but even gay men or ‘badings’ have balls. Mas may ‘bayag’ pa nga ang ibang ‘bading’ kay PNoy. Be gender sensitive.
So, gay is a gender now?
“I hate unsolicited advice,” the late Cory Aquino famously declared.
‘I only want good news’ pnoy aquino
Good for oscar pineda
These subservient sheep in the media who are more PR lobbyists than journalists, should be ashamed, not only at their lack of professionalism, but at the ‘brown envelopes’ they get.
A Lifestyle check on certain journalists would soon expose their hypocricy8 and agenda. They are certainly not interested in the news, balance, or truth, just their bank accounts and invites to parties/ be part of the in crowd. That is not a journalist, just a social climber.
Traitors to their profession, the truth and the country.
Rank amateurs.
Lets please push for professionalism in jounalism.
Start with reassigning lynda jumilla to reading the weather.
I took up journalism in college, not because I had a nose for news or the truth, but because I enjoy writing as a past time.
During and after my OJT I learned/experienced what being a journalist in the Philippines is all about. Those that decide/decided to trudge down the path of being true to their profession and their duty to discover and report the truth, are at the bottom most rung, the bottom of the barrel. They are little more than ghosts or whispers that are rarely, if at all, heard.
Then there are the big time guys, the newbies that know how to work their way up and the veterans that have been at it for some time now. Not that many get those ‘envelopes’, but they do get invited to parties, get to go on vacations, like this one journalist for one of the big three broadsheets who gets to go yachting with a congressman/senator.
So the only true journalists are either the dead kind or the stepped on kind.
And then we have this guy – The Ninja Kind.
He basically assassinated our present president with his underhanded, yet much needed, tactics.
Ninoy was shot dead, a bullet to the head (wasn’t it?). His son was shot point blank, face to face, words proving to be even more powerful than any bullet. For what harm can more bullets do to a dead man? But words, words, and more words, the search for truth, will harm, harm, and continue to harm one that is grasping for the truth.
Our present president is hanging by a thread, his big head and hanger-ons are causing him to slowly lose his grip and at the same time causing the thread to slowly unwind.
The question is, what will happen first, will the thread finally unwind/snap or will he lose his grip both on his position and on reality in general.
I can respect him as a person, but not that much as a president that has yet to keep his part of the bargain. His word has been shit so far, minus the wang-wang thing.
I asked a supporter of his, one of the really hardcore ones, what legacy or memory or action has our present president done and will leave for generations to come to remember him by. What mark has he left? What outstanding thing will be remembered and immortalized in history books?
No Wang-wang comes to mind. The supporters claimed that he’d done a lot of good, but could hardly name any of those things.
While there is Marcos who will forever be remember as both a good and bad president for quite A LOT of reasons. Cory for her coups. Ramos for not really doing much, maybe that Tiger economy thing (but I usually think of India when that is mentioned). Erap for his corruption…and that he had won the vote of the people for being himself. GMA…now that’s a person to not like, but aside from her own government’s corruption, (corruption is prevalent in each and every administration since time immemorial due to how it is not quelled while it is still a budding aspect in the family), she did do some good for the country.
Our present president hasn’t really done much. His presidency will be a blip in history, just like his stint in the senate, I didn’t even know he was senator before he decided to run or agreed to run. I was told by a reliable source that he had to be convinced. It sounds quite a lot like how his mother became our president back in the day.
My apologies for how long this got, and for whether or not the ideas got jumbled up. It is just that when I really get into something, and I am writing my thoughts down…things just go nuts.
If you have the interest in writing, combined with the pursuit of truth, then you actually have that opportunity through social media, and in many ways greater freedom and self respect than mainstream ‘journalists’.
The important point is to express opinion, to learn, to research, to constantly question, and to remain independent.
Good journalism is like seedcorn. It can be wasted on many, but it only takes a few to start multiplying to great effect. Patience and perserverance is the essence.
? maybe less words!
My writing style is more for the lifestyle section I’m told. Haha. I am well aware of my habit of using far too many words just to express one thought.
The lifestyle of yolanda victims/survivors post typhoon would be an interesting perspective.
Get down and dirty!
Will pertain to all communications media, ang sipsip ang nasa taas.
In General:
We’re a lazy bunch of bastards and bitches, that’s why. The straight and narrow isn’t for the Filipino people. We’re always looking for shortcuts, ways to make life easier the quickest way possible with the least amount of actual work involved.
We’re procrastinators and complainers. We’re spoiled little whining brats that want to be continually spoon-fed all our lives.
There are other factors other than how corruption starts and is encouraged even in the smallest cell of society, the family. There are obstacles put into place to hinder those well meaning or simply hard working individuals from rising up.
This is a country in which what you know, and what you can do, aren’t as important as WHO YOU KNOW.
I’m not a particularly big fan of INC (Iglesia Ni Cristo), which is why I don’t mind using them as a comparison for how I now view the Yellow People (I can’t remember the actual term for the supporters for Bullshit Aquino). Both of those groups think themselves superior and will stop at nothing to make voice out, proclaim to the masses and the world how perfect and superior they are.
I’ve found it useless to argue with both hardcore INC member and Aquino supporters.
That word is Noytard.
Thank you.
The only thing that upsets me here is the President not knowing how to answer that question properly. It’s been 3 months, what are they still expecting from the government? are they on welfare now?
Allow me to channel Vincenzo Arellano (or one of his nicks):
“Kuya Noy has only been our president for four years, give him time.”
The journalist asked the President a very difficult question.
Whats your name?
Let me give you a clue.
It is six letters long.
Begins with the letter W
and ends with the letter R
and it is not Wilber.
Does it rhyme with the word “banker”?
Does this word rhyme with finer?
Rhyme with leaner?
Or wiener
Small and wrinkly
Girls need a magnifying glass
Wouldn’t satisfy deniece cornejo
His mother never answered any questions, unless they were given in advance. It is because his Cory and Abnoy have no brain to speak of. They are being told what to say by other people. When Aquino speaks in public, even for a short time, he has to read it from the teleprompter. What a sad clown. Marcos could speak for hours. See, intelligence is the word of the day.
…made a little mistake there. Sorry.
She was a housewife that was thrust into the position of president. She was the least evil out of the lot of them.
As for Marcos speaking for hours, that is true. The politicians of old truly did have something between their ears.
Speeches were the norm back in those days.
It is true cory aquino was thrust in many positions, and whether hiding under the desk, or straddling the top of it, the desk has a story to tell.
The desk is the silent witness, but now it wants to open its drawers and reveal all
@ Jim, it is not a sign of a superior intellect just because someone speaks for hours. Some would offer that the guy liked to hear himself speak.
Actions speak much louder than words and are the truest measure of any Man.
There are others still, that love to SPEAK about others who are no longer even capable of responding. These are the mere words of insignificant children whose own lives matter little to the general welfare of the Filippine people.
Recently one offered that the current admin was ‘going down’, and is not in the least bit accurate for as in-effective an admin. as it certainly is, it is not ‘going’ anywhere due to such insignificant children being incapable of doing anything other than fumble about w/some moronic phrases, and then laugh at their own idiotic jokes. No names though (cough, cough!).
Laughable.
Agreed. And lets not forget the skelatons in their closets that show their true colors. Dig deeper before you vote.
oops, skeleton
hoy tumulong na lang kayo sa nasalanta kaysa punahin si noynoy!
FYI, marami na kaming itinulong sa donations gunggong.
Ang presidente mo lang ang mabagal kumilos saka saan na napunta ang mga dinonate ng ibang bansa hmm? Kaya mo bang sagutin yan o gagamit ka nanaman ng walang kwenta mong spiel?
I, the tax payer whose tax is added in the national treasury that includes disaster management, one of the President’s so called “boss”, demands an answer from him on why his administration is too slow to help the victim of Yolanda.
We did help, we sent truckloads of relief goods and medicines, took leave of absence from our jobs to be there, and yes, we still are helping. Criticizing an incompetent man-child president is helping~ not just the Yolanda victims but also the rest of the country especially for OFW’s who have gone to other shores because you probably can’t find a decent job in the country. If the next president is as doltish and inefficient as BS Aquino then I guarantee you – “PUNAHIN” pa rin namin yun.
Kay di maka porma si abnoy sa gagawin sa biktima ng yolanda,dahil wala siyang nababasa sa TELEPROMPTER SCREEN kaya balik laro siya ng PLAY STATION..At yong mga gabinete na sumusulat doon sa teleprompter ay wala sa malakanyang at abala sa pagnanakaw sa relief goods
P.S.
Hindi na gagana yang spiel mo. Sobrang gasgas na yan. Sagutin mo nga ito, NASAAN na ang mga dinonate ng ibang bansa????
No answer = No IQ
I already donated 600 pesos worth of donations through Red Cross you telebasura-minded moron.
OFW..oversea worker ka,gaano kadali ang puntang abroad..inabot ka ba ng kaliwa’t kanang taga mula sa dinaanan mong bureucratic system. yong dollar na pinapasok mo ay wala kang pakealam kung saan napupunta..Kung totoong OFW ka ,lam mong di madali,baka naman fake ka at nakikinabang sa DAP,parang si Leah Navaro,nang magka puwesto,pati kaluluwa ay binenta…Get real pal.
It took the “stop criticizing the government trolls” long enough to get here, and yet there’s just one of them.
Hmm…
They are all a bunch of butthurts anyway, like their idol.
Boo-hoo-hoo! PNoy going sour just because he was told the truth.
I wonder what spiel are these pro-PNoys are going to use this time to defend themselves?
See above comment by one retard named “ofw”.
Recycled spiels apparently are still being used since they’re too stupid to change their spiels.
Don’t you love it when the old baldie blows his top! Just goes to show that he hates criticism of the very laid back rehabilitation for the Typhoon Yolanda victims. Here are additional questions for the tenant beside the stinking river:
1. Where is the rehabilitation czar and where is the comprehensive development and rehabilitation plan that should have been drafted ASAP?
2. Why is the national government not adjusting to climate change in building above standard concrete buildings? I see the need for two-story concrete structures. Those wooden bunkhouses seen by the press as overpriced and substandard are death traps!
3. Where is the continuing relief in food and medicines? The government should sustain this to ensure sustenance and the survival of the survivors.
4. What happened to the monetary donations given by the USA and the free world nations? This should be placed in a revolving fund. The donated funds are intended to fund the needs of the survivors. In other words, these funds were donated to the surviving populace and not intended for Philippine government use if you know what I mean.
5. Why are the survivors who rallied against the government being tagged as reds or red influenced? These survivors are expressing their grievances in the very slow rehabilitation of this government.
6. What happened to the foreign donated relief goods which were “replaced” and transformed into local goods? The newspapers revealed a female government official as behind this racket where foreign goods are sold in the open market! What happened to the matuwid na daan and accountability? Is it now baliw na daan?
7.Why is the sitting president not acting immediately and effectively to resolve the plight of the Yolanda survivors? Time is of the essence! The answer is blowing in the wind…
The GRP Bloggers are taking the responsibilty of informing the Filipinos; on their true and factual situations. This is the reason Aquino is very much angry on any GRP Bloggers. He wants to jail them all, by signing the on line libel law.
However, he cannot do anything about it. He is clueless on how the: internet, hyperspace, computers , etc… work. He is even more clueless on who are criticizing him. Because the names of his critics are: “fallen angel”, “Gog”, “stahlnacht”, etc…how can he catch these phantoms? They come and bite Aquino’s ass; then, dispappear into the CyberSpace …
I’m no pro pnoy or what not. but everytime i hear people complaining about the sluggish relief efforts that the current administration is doing. I always ask them, “do you have a better idea how to make it faster?” “can you give me the details on how to tackle the obstacles?” “given the scope of the disaster with what little manpower that you have? can you give me an ETA?” They always say, use all the resources. I facepalm. they dont even know what resources we have…
yes, we all donated, packed canned goods, even went to disaster areas to help. but believe me, it took us a lot of time just to get there. can you guys give details on how it should be done? maybe we can suggest it to the president
Whatever suggestions you’ll say to that dumb president, he will never listen because he’s always too busy with his blame games, credit grabbing and enjoying himself with his 1 trillion peso pork barrel.
“Dumb” president? Actually he was smart enough to get himself elected so what you are saying is really about the voters. If you don’t like him remove him. Pork barrel, end it, funds are accountable to the people not at their discretion. Use your status as a citizen to hold politicians accountable, they work for you…each of you.
@ jef engra:
Aquino and his party, promised to take care of the Filipino people. This is his job. He is paid to do this job. If you ran for President of the Philippines; you know what you are facing; and what problems will come out. You don’t remain Clueless, like Aquino is…
It is not our duty to tell him what to do; how to solve these problems. It is our duty as taxpayers , to see, if our taxes, that we are paying on these idiots; compensate the “service value” of our money. If he cannot tackle the job…why not resign…and say to us:”I over promised. I cannot deliver what I had promised. I lack intellectual capability to do the job…” Then, we can find his replacement; thru special election. We don’t want that idiot Binay. He is clueless; also…he is dumb , as Aquino…
Anyone who will be in that “hot seat” will be scrutinized on his/her job performance. The employers (Filipino people” ) are always right. Otherwise, he will be fired…or be bugged by these unbiquitous bloggers…
jef engra Pnoy is so smart he is admitted he clueless about why the unemployment rate in the country continues to rise.
darewin ocampo–Siguro ay lahat ng action ni abnoy ay base sa outcome ng paglalaro niya ng nintendo.Siguro lahat ng bintana ng palasyo ay pinalitan wide screen at ang makikita mo doon ay nasa new york ka o europa. Di nati alam kung ano ang ginagawa ni abnoy sa loob ng palasyo.Baka naman naka straight jacket at nasa loob ng cabinet pag galit si ate
The pyramid of Khufu in Giza was built within 20years where 2.1million limestone bricks each weighing about 20tons carried by a distance of at most 800km away…how they made it possible??? that should answer your question…looking for clues? they have brains, determination and conviction to make things happen!!!
Akala siguro ng Abnoy na to eh pag-aari niya ang Pilipinas at hindi siya dapat paki alaman sa mga palpak niyang gawa. Typical Asendero attitude na akala i spoon feed sila ng mamamayan. Azz hole Abnoy go to Hell.
“In that same report, BS Aquino appealed to media to “highlight” positive developments…” – Oh, but there’s one positive thing that the Noynoy administration does, and that is giving us a good laugh… 😛
Kung ikaw may balitang sasabihin sa’yo, ano gusto mong marinig? Good news o Bad news? If we keep on focusing on the negative side (although it’s not that bad) we’ll never see the light again. If we keep on “Bashing” each other, while keeping yourself not to be bashed, have you considered the thought “if that we’re me…” thing? Keep your words pleasant to the ear but not for making it only as a perfume. Be fair everyone. Avoid people or news who doesn’t make you happy. But let me tell you this, after you successfully bashed other people, what does it make you feel? Does it arouse your urge to bash more people? Hope is what we need people. Some of you will be like “Yeah, yeah ,yeah hope whatsoever…”. Have you considered be a catalyst of hope?
Someone’s butthurt. We’re being fair here and at least we would rather hear the truth than a perfumed lie.
GRP for me is a site where amongst all the “negativity,” we are given pointers on how to improve this nation. If people like you will just be butthurt without realizing the message underneath the negativity, then you haven’t learn anything at all.
Idiots like you really deserved to be erased in the face of the Earth.
Tell me, how could you have done things better? if any of you guys knew a better way then you should have made every effort to make things faster and maybe saved a few lives. but no, you just sit there, donate a few canned goods to ease your conscience, maybe do a little packing and leave the government to do the rest. because its their job…. right?
other countries extended help, sent their best fleets because they know it was not an easy struggle… they do not bash our government, but you guys do.
There are many ways it could have been done better. Bodies are still found 4 months after the Yolanda aftermath. Food is still scarce, many are still homeless, some are treated like pigs living in bunkhouses that is similar to a pig pens, debris are still not cleared, and some roads are still inaccessible. We are not “Bashing”, bashing is defined as a violent assault. We are not violent.
We are also not satisfied by just donating just to ease our conscience, maybe you are like those who bought shirts from your favorite TV Network, and wore it just to be proud of what you have done.It’s just a cheap mind setting that even little help can do better. We are not like that.
And for the other countries not bashing? It is proof that you do not watch international news. Maybe you are satisfied with press releases by your favorite TV Network. There are many articles, segments on international news, that criticize our government. Some countries are also demanding proof that their donations came into good use, but our country can’t even provide that.
Tanong ko lng sa lahat? Eh bakit nyo binoto? Sa nag comment sa taas ilan ba sa inyo or kapamilya ang bomoto k? I dont vote anymore coz I dont believe sa mga politiko sa pinas. Pag kampanya pro people pag daog pro bulsa na nila. Tama lng na isulat ang BS aquino coz its for Bullshit Aquino admin…
So three months na pala at umaasa pa rin sa donasyon ang mga victims? Ganoon na lang ba gagawin nila?