I think I need to diversify my Following and watch list on Twitter. All I see are a bunch of “journalists” shrieking about the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte regarding his views on “bad” journalists and the fate they supposedly deserve.
Did Duterte really justify the killing of bad journalists? Who are we to judge? A wish to kill someone who threatens your existence or way of life is human nature. This is the reason we have laws. Laws are pieces of paper that separate civilised society from our animal heritage. Thing is, of the almost one million years that Homo Sapiens (and the tens of millions of years our parent Hominid genus) existed on this planet, civilisation existed for just 10,000 years at the most. And out of those 10,000 years of recorded human civilisation, only the generations who lived in the last couple of hundred enjoyed the nebulous notion of “human rights”.
The timeframe within which our convoluted rules that govern whether or not it is right to kill another human being is a mere blip in human existence.
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Then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at the Davao Torotot Festival in 2015
(Source: Wikipedia)
Who can blame them? No less than goody-two-shoes President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III back in 2015 himself hinted that some journalists end up dead by their own fault. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) quoted the following excerpt from a statement issued by President BS Aquino in Belgium after he was queried on the “questionable” human rights record of his administration.
For instance, in the media killings, some who used to work in media died. Did they die because they were investigative journalists? Were they exercising their profession in a responsible manner, living up to journalistic ethics? Or did they perish because of other reasons?
To be fair, Filipino “journalists” can be el primo pricks. For that matter, their entire industry is made up of a small community of inbred minds who high-five one another in little cliques and use their journalism diplomas and employment credentials as rest-back when they get into Twitter “debates”. Does that make them better people? Bases for us to judge Filipino journalists abound on record in living colour.
Back in 2012, Philippine Media acted in virtuoso concert as an entire industry. It threw its awesome collecitve influence onto the task of demonising the late Chief Justice Renato Corona and conspired with a Senate kangaroo court to illegally acquire and disseminate ill-gotten “evidence” against him and, eventually, wrongly “convict” him. To this day, for example, “reporters” Magtanggol de la Cruz and Carmela Fonbuena of Rappler remain at large and free to continue their trade in “journalism” despite their alleged offenses against the Philippines’ bank secrecy laws.
Most disturbing of all, is how the Inquirer made fun of key Corona trial witness Demetrio Vicente, on its front page during that circus. The Inquirer editor seemed to think it was a grand idea exhibiting photos of Vicente with face grimacing in a pained attempt to overcome the persistent effects of a past stroke to attest to the character of Corona before the Senate “court”. One can imagine the editorial staff chuckling over beers as they laid out the proofs for the presses for this front page the previous night.
Philippine corporate media is an industry that has long imposed its self-ascribed moral ascendancy over the entire Philippine archipelago from their corporate ivory towers in Imperial Manila. The industry has, until now, enjoyed a virtual monopoly on thought leadership as foreign players have long been barred from participating in the lucrative Philippine market for news and ideas. Key “thought leaders” in the Philippines’ traditional media industry are mainly Tagalog-heads who dish out gospel-drivel and have come to regard themselves as gods before their legions of social media followers.
What we are seeing today is an entire pseudo-religious industry unsettled by a hefty counterweight to their northern lordship forming in the Philippines’ deep south in Mindanao. Duterte is the Philippines’ first Mindanaoan president, after all. He has been in public service over several decades largely free of a court populated by the who’s-who of Manila’s parasitical classes.
As such, one would be well-advised to excuse Duterte if he does not speak in a tone that fits well with Manila’s parasitical chatter. Southern dialects are structurally different from northern ones in that they are full of nuance and lack many of the terms of deference northern tribes are comfy with. As a result, southern Filipinos are perceived to be blunt and even bastos (rude) by the Philippines’ Imperial Tagalogs and Jesuit-educated Spanish elites.
But as to the task of being real, for a change, well, Duterte for now oozes with reality. The desire to kill an enemy hasn’t really disappeared from the human psyche. It is part of our very being. Nations such as the Philippines’ were forged upon blood spilt in countless battlefields. To rise above barbarism one has to recognise the reality of human nature and its propensity to violence that still resides in our brainstems. You need to build upon reality. A house built upon pretensions and political correctness will not stand for long.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
These whining journalists fail to see that their “backlash” is a classic case of “Bato bato sa langit…” How fucking hilarious!
Duterte talked about corrupt journalists who willingly receive payment to skew the information they disseminate towards a certain (often biased and ill-informed) direction. And suddenly, so many journalists are offended and are annoyingly preaching about freedom of speech. Why would they be offended if they themselves aren’t the type of corrupt journalists that Duterte described?
That’s the problem with failipinos. They don’t know the word “specific” and they always resort to emo mindset.
I remember this Lee Kuan Yew quote about Philippine journalism: “Individual press reporters could be bought…”
That pretty much sums it up.
here in the Phil. an entire “journalist” group/ company could be bought. take that SG /s
It is all the same shame, the way that president and lawyer and supporters judge himself over the law and give judgment of death or life…
Only laws and court or God can decide if someone is guilty or not and deserve to be killed or not.
Any other judgment made is call extra judicial killing and murder…
That’s what make a society…
Criminals are selfish and conceited. They give no regards to other’s life but themselves only. Those who wants to be their subjects and slaves have the perogative to do so. So let them kill you and your children. But there are those who does not submit to those criminals. Prison cost a lot of money and it does not help them change. In most cases it actually worsen them. Most of them does not change even in prison for decades. Thou shall not Kill is God’s commandments. SO let them kill you and your children is really what comes down to. Or defend or Jihad or avoid them if you can. But not all can. You choose. KIlled or be killed!!!
Going by the drift of the article, President-elect Duterte must have, unmistakably made death threats.. once again. This impression notwithstanding; and given media’s bent, it is a good guess that; a) Mr. Duterte is, (as is his won’t), flirting and teasing print and broadcast media to test their reaction to his brand of governance, or, b) media have either misunderstood a typical ‘Duterte inelegance’, or, have totally twisted an otherwise well-meant statement(s).
In any case, this incident will, as in past cases, be just like water over a duck’s back.
Sent from my iPad
I have yet to encounter a real “journalist” in the Philippines.
Most are paid hacks who will write anything for a buck. They are shallow and an in-depth investigation of something is an unknown as everyone moves on the next day with something else. I have NEVER seen a journalist here asking TOUGH questions. Never. It’s always throwing cotton ball questions followed by fluffy or stupid answers…. and that’s it.
It makes me scream in anger at the TV. This is an interview???? WTF?
Journalists in the country are assholes and Marcos knew why he locked some of them up. Soliven was a prime example of a human rectum.
“I have yet to encounter a real “journalist” in the Philippines.”
And you won’t. Journalists in the Failippines are just “whores with a pen,” that will write anything you want them to for the right price. It’s better to hear from the street sweepers and the garbage collectors on what’s really going on in this fucked up country.
Media nowadays are becoming more dumb & money making machines rather than becoming more transparent & informative. How we could trust them if these kind of situation on media are just like those corrupt officials in our country? No wonder, this is the real reason why on our country is ranked #3 on the most dangerous place for the journalists are due to the corruption on both our gov’t & the media companies. Hopefully incoming Pres. Duterte should solve this problems/issues on his administration just like what Singapore do, in spite that there are limited media freedom there but there are win/win solutions to make balance on media industry to their news reporting & at the same time using their press freedom wisely unlike here in our country.
The media in the Philippines are good at passing judgements instead of just reporting. That’s evidenced by often assassinating high profile personalities through the media and being so obvious that they’re being bribed/hired by some padrinos with big grease money. Nobody in international media personality would go so far as to destroy anyones character through the media. Its never heard of overseas. But in the Philippines its rampant. For decades our media personalities are getting away with these type of dirty assassinations by the media with impunity. Its about time for these journalists/writers to be put on microscopic scrutiny for violations of the law in padrino system journalism in working for hire by the highest bidder for demolition jobs. This is getting to be a lucrative business because huge companies, big politicians and the Imperial Manila Elites/Oligarchs who has a lot of interests in the political scenery of the country are more than welling to shell out big monies to promote their interests through media assassinations and misinformations. Its about time we get rid of many of these kind of greedy/money hungry media personalities. There are so many of them. Let’s hire private investigators and bounty hunters to hunt these unscrupulous media personalities and expose them for investigation/ prosecution and bar them from practicing journalism or send them to jail. There has to be a check and balance here, otherwise this kind of dirty business and irresponsible kind of journalism will keep growing out of control. It is already out of control in my opinion.
we’ll go legit just like Lee Kuan Yew. DU30 can cross-examine these thugs since he worked as a prosecutor for 10 years.
“The media in the Philippines are good at passing judgements instead of just reporting.”
Their role nowadays is to influence the citizenry with what they want them to believe instead of report the real score in what’s happening in the country and provoke us to think. Who and what are they really working for? Just and truth report, working for the citizenry which they and their family are part of are already lost on some of them, embracing the culture of corruption.
I’m sure these turds (raissa, solita and jimmy) are having a toast now. and oh I missed dave 🙂
To put it “Your freedom of speech ends when you break the fucking law”
I invite people to research envelope journalism and hao shao in the Philippines. Offline preferrably.
ChinoF,
Also called “Yellow Journalism” in America “that is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers.
“Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism. By extension, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion.”
Incidentally “Yellow Journalism” has the same namesake as the Yellow (Chekwa) Party of the Failippines that brainwashes the masses with their unfounded propaganda.
Aeta
As a Visayan native, I observe we speak a bit of spunk. While Tagalog people spoke with gentle. This is just my generalization though. The media raged about Duterte statement because it could misunderstood by the manner of delivery rather than analyzing the context first. Regarding about journalism, media is corrupt just like anything can be. Relying to journalist aint good, they are people that still have biasis. It’s better to do the research in your own to take both sides of an issue before you conclude.
Du30 statement regarding media killings is wrong on many levels. If politicians feel they have been maligned by the media, they can do two things which are legal: use the media to defend themselves and use the courts to clear their name and punish the maligner. As politicians they have the means and the power to do this. This is what politicians in civilized countries do. Death can never be the punishment/retribution for some wrong words. Especially if you believe in an eye for an eye.
Did you watch the presscon and listened to what he actually said, with context, about the media killings? If not, then I suggest you do before spouting nonsense. I on the other hand watched the presscon and never in any way did he say or imply that he endorsed the killing of corrupt journalists, unlike the way the mainstream media spinned and deliberately misconstrue his words to make it appear as if he endorsed it.
He hasn’t killed anyone at all. What the hell is this “eye for an eye” nonsense? When did Duterte start going on a killing spree?
Well it looks like someone just read the headlines without checking or watching the actual footage of the prescon. What have you been reading? Rappler?
I have no respect on Filipino Journalism; much more on Filipino Journalists. Most of the Filipino Journalists are paid by corrupt politicians and their cahoots; to write good and favorable articles/stories, for them…
The trial of the late CJ Corona, was the best example of this Biased Journalism. I do not believe, they are doing it for free.
The issue of whether, the Filipinos Journalist were killed, because of their profession is debatable. The Mamapasano massacre of Filipino Journalists is one to be reckoned with.
I see more Truth in the Web Blog articles, and the comments of the Bloggers in the GRP. At least, you can differentiate easily between, those who write from their hearts; and those who are: paid hacks, trolls, or just plainly stupid bloggers…
Aquino has the ABS-CBN , other TV media; the Inquirer and other newspapers; the Rappler.com ; ProPinoy Web; etc…
Aquino and his cahoot Feudal Oligarchs have full control of these media outlets. Their primary purpose is to: twist/sanitize the news to his favor; demonize his political enemies; sing a chorus of praises to his “good works”; dumb the Filipino viewers and readers; hide Aquinos evil works/corruptions; etc…
This is the Information Outlet Aquino used. I am not surprized, if he will use it against Pres. Elect Duterte; and to rationalize his cheating in the 2016 election. Also, to promote Leni Robredo, Porky Drilom. Leila DeLima and her driver lover, etc…as the true winners of the 2016 election. Encouraging all of us to move on !
An Excerpt from 3rd World to 1st: Managing the Media
To our amazement, a U.S State Department spokesman, as reported in the AWSJ (asian wallstreet journal), expressed regret at the restrictions on both the AWSJ and Time magazine. Our ministry on foreign affairs asked the State Department to confirm the reported remarks which, if true, represented “an unprecedented interference in Singapore’s internal affairs.” It’s spokesman did so, but maintained the U.S department did not take sides in either of these two cases. We asked the state department whether, on the same grounds of impartiality, it would express regret over the refusal of AWSJ to publish the exchange of letters. The State Department repeated that it did not take sides it was merely expressing concern because of it’s “fundamental and long-standing commitment to the principles of a free and unrestricted press” – which meant that “the press is free to publish or not publish what it chooses however irresponsible or biased it’s actions may seem to be.”
THIS: “the press is free to publish or not publish what it chooses however irresponsible or biased it’s actions may seem to be.”
Yes, and the public is also free to choose to ignore biased media. Thankfully in this day and age, we have other media and sources of information via the internet.
Too bad that some journalists’ pretend to be journalist and yet too lazy to even complete the sentence President elect Duterte stated. It won’t cost him/her an ink to type the whole sentnce and yet he decided to cut it off or he was just so poor in comprehension? Then he must be forgiven. But if it was done intentionally, then the shoe fits. There goes the question of how much is the worth of ommiting the last sentence? Watched the interview and it wasn’t even in Visayan dialect, so easy to comprehend and yet this was the outcome? No wonder. Grow up kababayan! Sobra na ba talaga ang bagal ng internet connection that you can not even check the rest of the story? I thought you want an honest president? He was honest in stating his opinion and yet, the said journalist didn’t publish it the way President elect stated it.
To those dumb journalist… you should already know the facts and statistic right? the guy you are talking to was the guy who won the presidency despite being slammed with so many bad publications of your bias reporting.
He was the one who won despite the biggest and controversial black propaganda TV advertisement that broadcast on the last few days of campaign period.
Kahit anung paninira nyo hindi po tatalab kay duterte yan. hindi po yan trapo na very very carefull sa image niya… harap harapan nag mumura na yan, bakit pilit nyo pa rin sinisiraan?
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Big media are obviously given marching orders to malign Duterte in every turn. That’s why Duterte’s giving them the finger. That statement he gave about media killings wasn’t “misconstrued”. It was a fish biting the bait of a master fisherman. They have been identified. As always, the usual suspects are: PDI, Rappler and ABS CBN. Those are the obvious ones. The rest are occasional pokers.
The Failippines is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.
Duterte’s gambit! Media pretends to be clean and honest, the group seems to be “untouchable” and when the newly elected President draws first move unto them, they were shaken like a ship! Majority reacted in such an unusual way and they don’t know, Duterte was just only taking a pulse to them in preparation for his Presidency.
Abs cbn, gma network, et al. Pdi, Manila bulletin, et al, have all but lost their credibility as journalism/media outlets. At most they should only be considered as entertainment outlets. It’s a shame how the quality of Philippine media quality spiraled right after when we achieved the so called freedom way back 1986.
The only ones who benefitted from the EDSA Revolution are the supposedly heroes of it: Aquino, Cojuangcos, Lopezes (ABS-CBN) and other media conglomerates, Ayala-Zobel, Enrile, Ramos, Erap, GMA, other oligarch politicians (i .e., Drillon, Villar, Roxas), and “Chekwa” businessmen (i.e., Sy, Gokongwei, Tan).
The journalists in the Philippines lack maturity. When you want the news reported the way it happened, the journalist will deliver the news tinged with their own biases. I would rather watch CNN than read our newspapers or listen to radio commentaries.
I guess having a head of state that is not great at communicating his meaning is going to a little bit of an issue.
As far as media being in the hands of the yellow party,,,woe.
Guess they must also own international media too.
Seems dutetre and his mannerisms and his poor communication skills about murdering people or killing people or wishing to rape someone first is a repetitive problem.
Confusion or miscommunication once or twice a year…possible.
Mutiple times in less than a month…yeah.
U apologists can keep doing it but at some point you r going to have to realize he is what he is.
I like some of his ideas.
I like some of the stuff he says.
He is not a god though and its about time you apologists open your eyes and tell your mesdiah dude…think before u speak.
I personally hope he does change things here…for the better or worse…ha. Well where there is smoke there is fire.
Lots of smoke hey.
He needs his speeches written for him.
Seems ill kill u. U deserve to be killed, fear me, fear me, fear me is his modus operandi.
Unless u r a pretty girl apparently.
My sentiments too, hence I voted for MDS, I want out president to be well spoken and be our representative. Someone with the eloquence of Marcos minus his so called…
My reply:
How Can Filipinos Improve If Irresponsible Journalism Has No Appropriate Consequences And Penalties Against It?
You hit it right on their puny little fart asses, brother.
Hey, benignO, sikat ka na nga.
What you didn’t know: Pro-Marcos propaganda too hip for its own good
Ha ha! No less than the eminent Rappler… 😛
That fucking pathetic lizard from aren’t? Pweh!
I agree with the author here. However, if ever someone should criticized your newly elect President maybe it would be nice to be like this one:
Philippines’ Duterte: Neither Trump, Nor A Lee Kuan Yew
Can you make an article about corrupt lawyers? The first thing that crosses my mind is USA, it’s an epidemic and I believe it’s worldwide.
Philippines is poor because Filipinos are corrupt by nature, hence we’re ranked as the most corrupt country in the world. There was even a joke about it, we only came in second because we bribed them so we won’t be number 1!
This matter is really no surprise anymore, we’re probably all Filipinos here. I’m nearly 33 now and as a child, this is all I’ve seen. It even starts with our very own household, we want to get away with everything and not take responsibility for our actions and face up the consequences.
I’ve seen corruption in the playground, in our communities, streets, markets, police, barangays, the airports (NAIA wtf!) and even schools and churches!
It made me ponder why PFEM pushed for the new society. Filipinos have no discipline, with our current way of thinking and mindset we can never break through first world system as long as we’re run by the corrupt oligarch political system. It makes me wanna vomit when I’ve seen those mobsters from the so called people power and storm through malacanan and defile the palace.
It makes me ponder why the country is in that state, we’ve been cursed!
I forgot to mention the media! Abs cbn, and also businesses and corrupt government agencies, the military included!
“Philippines is poor because Filipinos are corrupt by nature, hence we’re ranked as the most corrupt country in the world. There was even a joke about it, we only came in second because we bribed them so we won’t be number 1!”
First, a lot of statistics prove you to be wrong. The country is still very corrupt, but #1 is so much of an exaggeration… or just plain wrong.
Also, get down the ivory tower and actually find out why the country is corrupt instead of blaming everything on the people who’s actually affected by this. Read text from sociologists. If you actually knew what caused poverty in the first place. Read sources written by academics.
I don’t care about academics, it’s the culture that is the problem. I wish Philippines was controlled by Britain instead of Spain.
I’m talking of personal experience and if you’re a Filipino who reflected back on what I said, perhaps you’d agree with me for that is what I’ve observed all my life, Filipinos have complete disregard for laws and they only care about themselves.
NOTOLP,
The Filippines cannot be controlled by Britain or any country. Why do you think the United States gave us our independence in 1946? The Americans are insightful enough to stop babysitting a bunch of unruly brown monkeys that is full of arrogance and selfishness.
Fliptards only respond to fear and aggression to keep them in line and behave like one nation and one people. Unless a country can rule the Failippines with an “iron-fist,” it might as well take its business elsewhere.
Aeta
Rather than simply delivering you raw information, facts and data, PH media goes the extra mile to chew it all for you; so all you need to do is open wide and swallow.
Spoonfeeding also forms the foundation of our educational system. No wonder we can’t even solve traffic problems.
PH media is a giant political machine that conditions everyone on how to think and see the world. It’s a brainwashing tool that rakes in tons of profit. It’s like the Catholic Church: lots of money in and their agenda out.
Control of the masses is the name of the game. Question is: are you already out of the Matrix? Follow the white rabbit then – at your own risk. Some people though regret they got awakened to the truth. Virtual media reality can sometimes be more real and fun than the actual physical counterpart.
The other reason u can not solve traffic problems is stubburness.
Wtf u think…how dare i?
Well its simple. Most other countries, if they do not have the skills to fix a problem, they out source and hire a person from another country who does.
Filipinos are so prideful and so worried they their honor might get hurt…they just throw their hands up in the air, beat their chests and proclaim “thats how things are done in the Philippines”.
Im currently appalled at Duterte.
Kids, adolescents and really un educated filipinos look up to him and here he is talking with pride how filipino not only will kill for thier honor but should.
I said in a thread before.
Filipinos have zero moral heros to look up to.
When your next president is a a Rude and vulgar womanizing thug who can not take critism from his people who he is supposed to represent, who the hell do kids look up to?
He needs a spokesperson because he does not think begore he opens his mouth.
Might have worked as a mayor in Davao but he is about to run a country.
Filipinos might end up with a shit load less friendly countries at the end of these 6 years if he can not control himself.
You might be thinking. Well fuck other countries, we do not need or want them.
Except every single time there is a disaster here foreign aid comes in truck loads.
This is why u have a wellspoken head of state.
Your president should be a reflection of the people.
Ohhh my bad…i see he is…carry on.
Media should be taught how to ask the right questions. Ever heard of a therapeutic response? Digong would always be Digong no matter what.
Ummmm? Are u serious?
A person of his postion should know how to control himself and articulate his words so people understand him.
Be upset all u want but he needs to up his game.
U people apologizing for him all the time is the wrong thing to do.
He is your President. Head of states need ti be scrutinized, be able to handle media.
Lol if he sucks this much handling media how much less when he has to deal with other countries leaders when their are problems?
Think anna.
You do have a brain.
It does not hurt to sometmes use it
Seems like ‘Freedom of the Press’ is lost on the author and most of the commenters her,eh ? The Philippines is entering a new and darker place than ever before and it is going to be ugly nasty and brutish.
Get out now, if you can…..and don’t go back ! Place is fucked.
As expected from a TROLL like yourself.
According to Duterte himself, “Freedom of expression won’t save you. The Constitution cannot help you kapag binaboy mo ang isang tao.”
Get out of this page, you Yellow Hack. 🙂
What a FUCKING IDIOT. Freedom of the press does not mean you can publish, say, distort whatever the fucking hell you want. With freedom comes responsibility. What a bunch of privileged spoiled little bitches you are if you think freedom of the press isn’t bound by anything.
The only thing anything is entering a new and darker place is your INFLATED HEAD right smack inside your STINKING ASS. That’s the darker place right there. Because that’s the only thing you can see.
If anybody wanted to ask someone what Freedom of the Press is, you’d be the last person in anyone’s mind.
But the fact of the matter is, our media is corrupt. They DO take the side of their masters and not the side of truth. Were vast majority of our journalists honorable and exercise responsible reporting, your sentiments would be valid. Were we a more refined society, we’d all condemn Duterte for his comment against the journalists.
But here in the Philippines, the way to “handle the media” is to keep their masters happy. It’s hardly about being classy or civil. Even if Duterte was careful with his words, so long as the ruling class can’t control him and so long as he refuses to do their bidding, the media will find a way to demonize him.
And fyi, his team is already taking action to regulate his aggressive mouth. He did say that the moment he takes his oath, he’ll be watching his mouth more. So he does know his responsibilities and is aware of his position.
IF ‘Freedom of the Press’ is not be in the authors vocabulary ?…it should be. Journo’s are given free reign to report the facts as they see them.
Whoever wrote this, if it is actually not sarcastic will fit right in when Duterte declares Martial Law. The murderring scumbag is already killing people in the streets with no ‘Due Process’ so how much longer will it be before Martial Law makes its comeback ?
‘Freedom of the Press’ and ‘Due Process ‘ are both invaluable, tangible assetts of ALL democratic societies and can not be dispensed with or the democracy cease’s to exist.
GET A CLUE.
Come on, martial law ghost again?
You think, martial law can be declared single handedly by the president?
FYI, the author is exercising “freedom.of the press.”
Either you’re missing the the point or you’re just TROLLING. I think it’s the latter.
Get out of this page, you trolling scumbag. Reply back and you’re proving my point.
Your post is laughable and pathetic at the same time.
30 years ago there was controlled media. Now, the media men who lost their jobs, are back with a vengeance. And yes, there is ‘freedom of speech’. But they make sure that the Yellows have the loudest speech. What’s the point of having ‘freedom of speech’ when yours is gonna get drowned out anyway…
Yeah you cite ‘freedom of the press’ ONLY when it’s convenient for you.
This article is soo poorly written that its author seems to be high on something. The contradictions are laughable in that some of them are in the same paragraph. It’s understood that taking a swipe at the Oligarch controlled industry may be the aim here but its missing the mark by a wide margin and in doing so appears disheveled, at best.
Care to enlighten us on the specifics of this statement than a simple “i don’t agree with it therefore it sucks” diatribe?
He can’t. That’s just it, diatribes. That’s his whole thought process right there. Moronic ain’t it.
It’s obvious that you’re reading too much mainstream yellow journalism because they are always gospel truths for you, eh failipino?
Your comment reeks of TROLLING that you may seems to be a TROLL or something.
How much are the Yellows paying you Mr. PR boy?
“disheveled”
We are using BIG words are we?
If you want anti-Aquino news/analysis, go to
http://www.manilatimes.net
Manila Times was the biggest newspaper in the country the time it fell into Marcos’ control when martial law was declared. It’s often a breath of fresh air when other broadsheets spew Yellow feces on our faces.
If you want to view very old news clips, go to
https://news.google.com/newspapers
Search for “Marcos declares martial law” and you will get to read the actual news clip back in 1972. You will realize the Marcos knew that to regain control the state, he had to control the media first.
Now you know why PH today is like one chaotic circus of zoo animals and bozos. But maybe that’s just how we like it – more fun in PH right?
The interesting about this whole press drama llamas is that more and more people are beginning to realised how biased the Pinoy mainstream media are.
With that said I agree with you all, there are a lot of evil scumbags in the Philippine press. They rank up there with the destined for hell trapos.
Well, it is no small fact that these so-called journalists here in the Philippines act like they are prima donnas – especially those that work for the big time broadcasting corporations…
So this rather reinforces my thinking that the “media” here in the Philippines are nothing but a bunch of crybabies and pussies. Really? An appeal to emotion after the president-elect castigates your ranks for what the deal really is? You know that your status and station in life can only do so much if you piss off the wrong people in the first place. Too much “freedom of expression” perhaps? Sounds like the Philippines alright. Too much “democracy” without the accountability and responsibility.
love the whole if u disagree with duterte then u are either a troll or for the yellow party.
Im for the brown party,
Over a100 million of the lil dudes that can not see the forest for the trees.
Stop bullying people and indulting them when the are critical of your elected messiah.
Google nazi germany.
Cause this enmass head in the sand idol worshipping you are all doing is disgusting.
He is your elected president.
Telling people that a murder( any murder) is understandable for honor or corruption is insanity.
This is not a movie.
These sort of words coming from a leader of a country is not just beyond unimaginable.
These sort of words have far reaching consequences on your youth.
Basically u agree if someone offends your honer then its worth killing for.
The rest of the world calls that having a thin skin and psychotic,narcissistic behavior.
I am at a loss how an entire country of sheep can not see what is going to happen.
Pull him up on his crap.
Be vocal its not right.
These ( paid for trolls) that kerp abusing those who speak up or shame them to shut up because the think differently( and by that i mean they actually think) to the rest of the sheep.
Im not a yellow supporter.
I support equal rights, moral rights and people with brains that lead.
So far the to watch dogs that people rely on for moral judgement and international intervention have been put on his ignore list.
Now only state own tv can ask him media questions.
Only other people running countries like this are tyrrants and communists.
And he is not even in power yet.
Murder is never acceptable.
Corruption will be forever in the philippines.
U think stealing money or getting bribes is the only corruption?
How bout zero value to another humans life?
One is man made…one is a man.
Time to get your values sorted.
I wonder how your jesus would think of u all.
Last i checked he was kinda against murder.
Jeez, get a pedestal somewhere so you can pontificate there. I watched the presscon. He never endorsed the killings of corrupt journalists. He described the reality why journalists are being killed. So, your point is what exactly?
He said filipinos kill for honor…on national tv.
Basically endorsing murdering to protect ones honor.
Do u know how many stupid, easily swayed people r in this country?
How did he rise to power?
He was a great speaker, with the power to make people support him.
The moderate political parties would not work together, although together they had more support than him.
There was widespread poverty and unemployment, which made people angry with the government. People lost confidence in the democratic system and turned towards the extremist political parties .
The death squads attacked his opponents.
The propaganda campaign was very effective and it won support for him. They targeted specific groups of society with different slogans and policies to win their support.
He was given power in a seedy political deal by a political party who foolishly thought they could control him.
*Industrialists gave him money and support.
Oh my bad that was hitler…
Someone here likes to casually cite ‘Freedom of the Press’ as if he has a monopoly on what it is and what it means. Freedom of the press is equally applied to everyone, even if you don’t agree with it.
Get your head out of your ass.
The word freedom for most pinoys are skewed anyway.
Look what is freedom for them after they have deposed the evil dictator? All went downhill from there. They had their chance… 3 decades of it. Look where that freedom got us to?
Now we have a chance with an opportunity for real change and they cry and whine for the possibility that their brand of freedom will again be curtailed.
They are idiots, in simplest terms.
I’d like to comment on a few, no, many stuff regarding this “commentary” of yours.
First:
“A wish to kill someone who threatens your existence or way of life is human nature.”
Uhh…… get off your high horse and actually consider yourself to be among the humans you’re talking about. So you’re telling us that human beings have nonexistent moral compass? And you’re telling me that nothing but the mere existence of law will keep you from actually killing off a person?
But perhaps you might actually be not too far from wrong, if you actually find out that the reason why most journalists are killed in the first place. But that’s for later discussion.
Second:
“Thing is, of the almost one million years that Homo Sapiens (and the tens of millions of years our parent Hominid genus) existed on this planet, civilisation existed for just 10,000 years at the most. And out of those 10,000 years of recorded human civilisation, only the generations who lived in the last couple of hundred enjoyed the nebulous notion of “human rights”.”
Last couple hundred years? The mere concept of “human rights” have already existed several centuries back. (http://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/cyrus-cylinder.html)
And that’s just what’s based on solid evidences. How sure are you that in these 10,000 years of human civilization, human rights was never so much of, at the very least, a discussion? The fact is, it’s hard to say, given the limited amount of evidence that archaeologists have dug out.
——————
But that’s just the small things you said that put me off. The bigger issue here, is the way you view media. It has its issues, and I agree.
However, I’d like to talk about how shallow your analysis of Philippine media is.
It’s as clear as day, based on your commentary, that you know nothing about the ethical issues arising inside the newsroom, and you know nothing about the nature of media killings in the country.
Otherwise, you would have known that media is more controlled by businessmen rather than journalists. Yes, journalists can report whatever they feel like reporting in their beat (look up beat journalism), but at the end of the day, these journalists are still controlled by the interest of the producers, funders, and of course the powerful in our country — death threat can effectively silence an investigative journalist looking up what might be a case of corruption.
And then this quote:
“Philippine corporate media is an industry that has long imposed its self-ascribed moral ascendancy over the entire Philippine archipelago from their corporate ivory towers in Imperial Manila.”
Even if we’re just talking about Metro Manila media, there are also correspondents in the provinces reporting. However, reporting in the provinces is not a joke — you can get caught in the battle between the insurgents and the military. And get accused to be a communist then imprisoned, or worse, killed, like what happened in Maguindanao.
Now that I think about it, I think you’re confusing between corporate media and its owners, and journalism and its practitioners. The ones we ought to be critical to is the corporate media and its owners, since they’re the ones pursuing the business interest of media that is evident: sensationalism, superficial reporting, etc. etc.
(Also mind you that in most cases reporters aren’t really the ones who write the headlines. It’s the editors, further influenced by the business owners.)
However, journalism as a profession, the pursuit of truth to inform the masses, is by no means can be described as an ivory tower thing. If you actually bothered looking at the list of journalists that were killed (https://cpj.org/killed/asia/philippines/ is a good start), you’ll actually figure that most of the named Filipino journalists here were killed either because they’re reporting in a dangerous location (as in the case of the Maguindanao Massacre) or they’re investigating an issue so controversial the moment they dig up something from that investigation, someone in power can fall down.
These people were actually in the pursuit of truth when they were killed, and that’s what makes Duterte’s statement so wrong. He’s insulting these journalists in their graves even though most of them weren’t even corrupt.
And it’s wrong to say that these journalists are standing in their ivory towers because their jobs involves knowing about the issues in the government or in our community.
————
So before you guys actually talk about media issues in the Philippines, you really have to carefully study about media ethics in the first place. As in read academic articles/books that actually carefully analyzes the issues and why it came to be in the first place.
YOU actually have to be the one to get down the ivory tower because you know nothing about how difficult the profession is.
And journalists have all right to judge a politician such as Duterte. Because that’s actually part of their jobs.
Exactly.
Well bloody written.
@JustPassingBy: Dude, I have no disagreement with what you say, that “media is more controlled by businessmen rather than journalists”. That’s just the age-old ehtical dilemma surrounding business interests and ethical duties.
But here’s the thing: That’s just tough luck then, right? The journalism profession is only as good as the businessmen that allow its practitioners to put food on their tables.
And that is where the point I make in my article (which you apparently missed despite all you had written above) comes in. The collective known as Philippine media consisting of both the owners of the means of production and the “journalists” who produce content using that means has failed in the Philippines — because, ultimately, (and in your own words) “at the end of the day, these journalists are still controlled by the interest of the producers, funders, and of course the powerful in our country”.
In short, whoever or whatever is good or bad in what constitutes the industry, the fact is, the industry as a whole is a failure as far as its bigger role in contributing to the development of the Philippines as a nation. Media failed and dragged down with it the journalism profession that depends on it for its daily bread.
On the list of respected professions worldwide, the ‘media’ rank second to the bottom – barely losing to pedophiles for that position.
What is the biggest problem in the world today? ISIS? No. That is the effect of inequality. Drugs? No. That may be a cause of inequality, but more an effect as well. Over-population? No. New York Times and other Think Tanks, who used to advocate mandated population control, now say poverty is the cause of over-population and NOT vice-versa; sustainable development is the solution to over-population. Climate Change? Maybe, but that is also tied to inequality if we take a closer look at it..
INEQUALITY. That is the biggest problem today.
It is the reason why DU30 got elected. It is the reason why Trump might just win the White House over Hillary. The campaigns of the two have shown similarity and that is why they have often been compared. No, it is not really about their political incorrectness, though that is what people normally only pick up. It is that the overarching “theme” of their personas, pronouncements and sorties is about addressing inequality. Inequality matters whether we realize it or not.
China has acted as it has acted because she perceives the US is treating her unequally. As the second largest economy, she grabbles on how to deal with the largest economy, a Military Power on the other side of the planet and yet who wants to remain a Pacific Power. Both have to be careful about their geopolitics, or they could trigger WWIII. Both act as they do because it is really an effort to find solutions to the inequalities in their respective home fronts.
China is an Economic Power but think and act like a Third World because Beijing is still busy trying to hide its roots in the Cultural Revolution of the past. China knows that once Central Government loses its control, a social volcano would likely erupt. We can’t talk of a social volcano in the case of US; we talk of Occupy movements because they remain hopeful a “trickle down” solution might still be found as they have in the past. But with the fast developments of the last decade or so, the Top One Percent has become more and more the normal feature of the US economy and no solution to inequality is in sight.
Inequality matters. But, we can’t be explicit about it. We cannot talk of it as a theme of an election campaign, though it was the undertone of the campaign of DU30; it is of Trump. Inequality is a bitch; it is complex. We are scared of it. It is always the elephant in the room. We tackle it in an INDIRECT manner, groping and hoping. Why? …..because social sciences have suddenly no answer. We also know by now that GDP and credit upgrades are very much incomplete measures of the well-being of a country.
No question, social scientists have long been concerned with inequality. This has usually been addressed from specific theoretical and/or political positions – Marxism, liberalism, feminism, anti-racism and so on. But as Mike Savage (Co-director, Institute of International Inequalities, London School of Economics) observed, these have generated foundational disputes and controversies, rather than sets of problems to work on.
Paradigms have now to be questioned. Savage: “…the reason why the work of economists such as Tony Atkinson, Joe Stiglitz and Thomas Piketty; of sociologists such as Beverley Skeggs, John Goldthorpe and David Grusky; of legal scholars such as Kimberlé Crenshaw and Nicola Lacey; of epidemiologists such as Michael Marmot, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett; of political scientists such as Robert Putnam, Kathleen Thelen, Catherine Boone and Paul Pierson; of geographers such as Danny Dorling, and of social policy researchers such as John Hills, ….have become popular. The work of these social scientists typically commands more attention than their peers working on other fields, and carries sway across much of the wider social sciences. …..many of these proponents criticise their own disciplines as a means of emphasising importance of inequality studies.”
Piketty criticisms of economists do not mince any words:
“To put it bluntly, the discipline of economics has yet to get over its childish passion for mathematics and for purely theoretical and often highly ideological speculation, at the expense of historical research and collaboration with the other social sciences…”
Savage: “…the challenge of rising inequality might just be a real issue which causes genuine and effective cross-disciplinary synergy and is forcing the social sciences to reassess their disciplinary loyalty. …social sciences (have) to retool to demonstrate their contemporary relevance.”
*****
AND YET….
Here we are debating whether the catcall and wolf whistle of DU30 was sexist or not. Okay, let us debate it for whatever lessons it might give us, but to have it as one of our headline news? Aren’t we losing focus on the biggest problem? Oh, I forgot, it involved one of the members of the media, the Fourth Estate, the Establishment whose very existence is about protecting inequality.
I am not worried about the 60% who didn’t vote for DU30 because I am elated by the 70% who showed their repulsiveness with Daan Matuwid, a principle, as formulated by the Yellows, that has, and will, perpetuate inequality. It just shows that we don’t have as many Dutertards like me, but more importantly, there are much less Yellowtards now. A good many of those who didn’t vote for DU30 would always wish DU30 fails. Let them, for they not only make Philippine politics colorful and interesting, but would one day fall flat in their faces. They may not realize it, but a call for equality is a powerful force, especially now. In the near future? If we do not reckon with it directly, it will be a revolutionary force in yet unseen ways ….perhaps, in violent ways — hopefully not.
However, I worry about Dutertards who still don’t know why they voted the uncouth Mayor. They are the ones who lose their focus when the Yellows and the media throw in trifles in the marketplace of ideas. But, isn’t this the very technique that has now been employed for 30 years, and we still continue to buy it? For one, they talk to us of decency, dignity and presidential qualities. Sure, they are nice topics to talk about — in fact, quite entertaining at times. BUT, have we not yet realized that these qualities are better acted upon, perhaps even in a way outside of traditional boxes, than talked about? Or, you didn’t know we voted for DU30 because we are tired of the hypocrisy in our society?
They want to change our President-elect whose very persona is about change. That is a negative on a negative which yields a mathematical positive, which really means maintaining a status quo. They want a President in the mold we all have been used to. But, how can DU30 change? He ate inequality for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
He is showing he is the product of a rotten society, a society which he had to fight if he had to spare others of the rot. Thus, in his close daily contacts with the rotten, he may have gotten himself to look like rotten. But, is he rotten in the inside, or just on the outside? Is he like our typical TraPos? He talks extemporaneously for two hours, with no holds barred, because he wants to show us his heart. Unfortunately, many refuse to look at his heart.
For many, they could not even look — hypocrisy has been a way of life in this society. They look at the outside, but don’t look at the core. They could not understand why minors have to have to have a curfew, why drinkers can’t have their sessions in the side walks, why drunks can’t simply drive, etc. etc. ….and they call these unnecessary micro-management by a CEO? But, isn’t he simply telling us that if we want change, it has to start with us? Discipline has become alien to us, and we don’t want to accept it. What hypocrisy.
Media is shocked when he admits that he does not know how to help them with regards to media killings. Oh what blasphemy; Constitution has mandated that they have to be the most respected lot in our society. But, has media even attempted their darn best to earn that respect? Or, have they become the main promoter of mediocrity and patronage politics? Or, have they policed their own ranks, or have they been themselves remissed in their own obligations because of their focused on network wars, scoops, advertising revenues, and bottom lines?
Yes, no media killing can ever be justified no matter what, but how can this message be delivered by DU30 when in every press conference, stupid questions are asked, trifles are thrown in, main points are missed, no effort to elevate the discussion is attempted. DU30 opens a press conference with a 20 minute rant, but most of the questions thereafter do not have anything to do with his opening statement. So, why would he not rather play with them, tease them, when media wants DU30 to listen to them, instead of them listening to him? In the first place, why do they send cub reporters instead of the seasoned ones? Isn’t this an insult to the Presidential Office already? And, the Holy Cows are shocked? What hypocrisy.
Of course, in his attack of every facet of society, he has not spared the Catholic Church, of which 80% of the population are adherents. I am a Catholic, many of my Catholic friends, who voted for him as well, are shocked at his continuing tirade against the Church. I am not. In fact, I find his bitter rants welcome events Why worry? If the Church is the true Church, it will withstand these attacks, as it always has in the last two thousand plus years since its foundation, and always came out of these attacks a better Church.. The Church has been through more profound attacks, heresies, and tumultuous events. If it is not the true Church, it should have folded a long time ago.
The Church should have been the moral guardian of the Philippine society. Then, why is the society rotten to the core? Thing is, the Church has remain a vital political force. It maintains the biggest network of charitable institutions, operates the leading schools, influences many of the civil societies, etc. Is this the reason why it has become so complacent? Is it even a cooperator to the hypocrisy? You know, Bishops, it is irritating to hear that it is the Pajero Bishops who are the nosiest at this point. Why fight fire with fire? Aren’t there better Christian ways than this?
Pope Francis is the most popular Pope in modern history. Why? …because he is into solving inequality. It’s his advocacy besides Mercy — why don’t you read his last two encyclicals? And DU30 an enemy? My gosh, the guy’s very being, his waking hours, and I suppose, even in his sleeping times, is about solving inequality. If you don’t get this, then you will never understand the man. An enemy, Bishops? No way, he is my and your ally.
HYPOCRISY!!! That is why we cannot see the INEQUALITY.
PS. There is no greater manifestation of inequality than illegal drugs. Greed does not just dump their garbage, they sell and spread their garbage. What injustice. What inequality. The ridiculous part is there are buyers. This has to stop — DU30
Drugs?
Yeah you are wrong about that.
Every other country in the world has drugs yet none of the problems filipinos have.
Once again the problem with opinions and facts i guess.
Drugs are not your problem.
Drugs should be legal.
Its up to humans what they want to do with their own body..not you, not a government.
The rest of the world is starting to legalise drugs and having less crime because of it.
But you guys are going to start killing people instead.
Clap on the back.
Failipino strikes again.
Legalize drugs? Where in the fucking world are people legalizing drugs?? Geez! I mean, I get it if you’re talking about Marijuana since there are studies that Cannabis have medical properties and should be legalized. But i sure hope you’re not reffering to meth, cocaine, acid, and all those other shit. That is just stupid!
We don’t need to legalize drugs. What we need is proper education on reponsible drug use. We have been taught what drugs like meth actually do to your brain. Non of that “it will get you addicted, spend all your money, and destroy your life” type of bullshit explanation. Nope – our teachers got technical on us. They gave us non of those scare tactics about going to hell or disappointing our families.
They explained that those drugs trigger the release of an excessive amount of happy chemicals in your brain. Chemicals that are naturally released in brain when you receive a very happy news, when you exercise, etc. But taking these drugs tricks your brain into thinking that you don’t need to receive good news for it to release these happy chemicals. The drugs released those happy chemicals without you doing anything significant. So the next time you receive a happy news or you exercise, you wont have the same happy feelings again.
You’re saying you want to release these types of substances??
I think you are already affected by drugs, by saying what you are saying.
TheVoiceofReason will agree with me here, drugs are not nearly the greatest manifestation of inequality here. The inequality with which we regard people based on labels, and the ensuing upgrading or downgrading of their human rights based on that social standing is.
We shouldn’t ask “How should drugs and their dealers rounded up and controlled?” but “Why do I regard a drug dealer with so-and-so traits and why I believe they deserve less/more/no justice than they currently do?” Replace “drug dealer” with your root-of-evil of choice – politician, journalist, “journalist” (blogger) – and if you’re not clinically delusional you’ll begin to understand that it is the broken brain of a person raised in the Philippines that they mistake “my fucked-up understanding of human worth” with “that social problem that is so distant from me that I could feasibly do without it”.
Most importantly, we should ask
“Why does this news article want me to care about drugs/the Pope/Duterte so much, when I can’t even empathise with my grandmother anymore?”
Haha, “nebulous notion of human rights”, nebulous only to staunch Darwinists because there is no grounding for it in a purely naturalistic Darwinian framework. But if it were, as some would consider a “self-evident” truth, “that all [Homo Sapiens] are equal, with certain unalienable rights”, then it must only be “endowed by their Creator” and so “the pieces of paper” we call laws had underlying assumptions of objective intrinsic human worth it cannot itself justify. That brings us to a more suitable model – a transcendent (necessarily theistic) one, particularly one that claims humans as imago Dei. So what if granted that it “is a mere blip in human existence”? Its epistemology does not diminish its ontology, just like mathematics, etc. We should not confuse the subjective origin of our moral judgments with the objective value to which the judgments refer. Just because the origin of our moral judgments can be historically or sociologically explained does not mean there are no objective, corresponding values in reality.
“You won’t be killed if you don’t do anything wrong.”
Now what exactly did those killed journalists do wrong? Something that can be generally considered wrong, or something that is wrong in the eyes of those unscrupulous bastards (corrupt politicians, big-time criminals, etc) that these same men and women exposed?
Every institution built by men will always have some degree of corruption. Media is not exempted. Only fools will truly believe in the concept of unbiased media, because humans are biased in nature.
DU30 pointing out this fact is a plus in my book, but I think he’s barking at the wrong people here. Corrupt journalists are still alive because they knew how to suck up to those corrupt people in power. The journalists that died are the crusaders. as DU30 calls it, who were liquidated by the oppressive powers to protect their interests.
When these so called retarded journalists said they will boycott Duterte, that means they will gag him from his freedom of speech. These retarded journalist really deserves to be assasinnated. They scream freedom of speech but they have no problem in boycotting the freedom of speech of the very president of the Federal Filipinas.
Journalist is no different than any other jobs. Journalists are also human and human needs food to live. Means, they need money and so forth.. So as everybody else. However, some wants to be ahead of the rest. To get paid extra can somehow achieve this. Corruption is also an old occupation that is not officially allowed but can be done discretely or on the side to get extra pay. Those who are guilty of that crime don’t want to be discovered or be known. So they will defend their so called integrity by getting defensive and in denial. Perhaps, they don’t know that they are doing the wrong thing because it has been in the system even before they were born. But that is another bull in the crap. Everyone knows what is bad or good. It is in our nature that we know these things. Because we don’t want others to do that to us so we know what is right or wrong. Whoever wants to deny this means they just made themselves an example to what I am talking about. No one is innocent in the law of the land and in the eyes of God. If we feel pain when something dropped on our head, then we don’t do it to others. Simple. Those journalists who reacted as if there holy integrity were shambled with shame, I say this, “They are as guilty as…”. If you have not done the wrong, then don’t react, because it does not concern you. How did the name of the Late Pres. Marcos got dirty? Because of those journalist who are coward and corrupt in the Aquinos time. No body was courageous enough to defend Marcos’ good deeds. All were scared. Now Duterte is the only leader in the world who showed no fear with the pope, priest, journalist, corrupt officials, drug lords etc etc etc. You know why? Because, “The people has spoken”. It is the people that wanted the “Big Change”, no citizen will listen to anyone except to Duterte The people can see that Duterte is honest and he does what he says. No other powerful group can destroy him, unless they kill him. But that again will cause chaos to the country. Those puppeteers who controls the media which controls the journalists are the ones angry at Duterte. They are losing their power over the people. And THAT IS GOOD !!!
Senator Gringo Honasan posted this.
https://twitter.com/gringo_honasan/status/773461245508849664
Rafael Alunan posted this.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrwhL8SVUAAchAy.jpg
I think a lot of people will agree with them. It is high time Philippine journalists are held to account. They have been hiding behind “democracy”, “human rights”, and “freedom of speech” to excuse their incompetence, maliciousness, and lack of accountability for too long.
The damage they are causing with their partisan reporting has reached treasonous levels. Their haphazardly prepared “kill lists” and exaggerated stories about extra-judicial killings are jeopardizing the Philippines’ reputation abroad and hampering the ability of our police to carry out their duties. Their constant and deliberate misrepresentation of President Duterte’s statements is endangering diplomatic ties with other countries.
Some years ago, the British parliament conducted an inquiry on the illegal and unethical practices of the UK’s top newspaper, the News of the World. The findings of the investigation forced the newspaper to close down, and members of its editorial staff were charged in court. The inquiry was widely supported by the British public who were fed up with the dirty tricks of the British press.
(Some might argue that the News of the World was a tabloid. But so is the yellow rag known as the Philippine Daily Inquirer. They don’t even bother to hide it anymore.)
We need a similar inquiry done here by the House or Senate. Our legislators should not be afraid to take action against irresponsible journalists, because millions of Filipinos are sick and tired of their abuses and want to see them punished. The only ones who will defend these warped journalists are other warped journalists and the people who benefit from their lies.
Everyday, these hacks extra-judicially murder billions of Filipino brain cells in a kind of intellectual genocide with every kilobyte of rubbish they churn out. They commit economic sabotage with every potential investment lost because they keep portraying our country like a killing field. True, we can always tune them out if we don’t want to hear what they’re saying, but in the internet age, their lies can spread around the world in a matter of seconds and threaten our country’s welfare. They need to be brought to justice. These arrogant, self-righteous “defenders of democracy” are nothing more than terrorists and criminals with press passes.
What makes them think they are so special that they should be above the law? If doctors, lawyers, and accountants can be sued for malpractice and sent to jail, so can journalists. Journalists don’t even have board-certified skills. They rank low on the point system for immigration to first world countries because, for all the noise they make, they contribute little to society and policymakers know this.
We don’t need rabid, irrational, mis-educated, and unethical journalists to defend our freedom of speech. We already have the internet and social media for that. Sue them and send them to jail. No one will miss them. We’re not in the 70’s anymore.
(I refer here specifically to malicious journalists, not the few good ones left who have integrity.)