Bong Go to ABS-CBN: Be impartial
Credit to Author: Javier J. Ismael| Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2020 17:08:30 +0000
SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Monday demanded impartiality from ABS-CBN Corp. as he denounced the black propaganda aired by the network against then mayor and now president Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016 campaign period.
Go was referring to the negative advertisement aired by the network against the President, which was paid for by former senator and then vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes 4th.
GoABS-CBN failed to air some of the advertisements that the President had paid for during the campaign period.
During the Senate public hearing on the network’s franchise, Go said the grievances of Duterte against the network were valid, citing the Fair Elections Act, which states that “all members of media, television, radio or print, shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. They shall recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.”
“It is unfair to allow a negative ad [to air] a week before the election and then not approve legitimate ads for then presidential candidate Mayor Duterte. It says so in the Fair Elections Act,” Go said in his opening statement.
He demanded impartiality from the network, saying, “Media networks are supposed to be neutral and impartial.”
“But if this is the case — if some media networks and some political elites and economic elites can get together and destroy the candidacy of one candidate — tama nga ang Pangulo na labanan ang mga elitista at oligarkiya na kasalukuyang naghahari sa ating bansa (the President is right in fighting the elitists and oligarchs that currently rule the country),” he added.
“Sa kasagsagan ng election season ay hindi na-ere ang ilang ads ng ating Pangulo. Alam din po ng karamihan ang tungkol sa isang video–a video which was obviously meant to malign then presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte–for the purpose of destroying his reputation and turning the tide against his overwhelming popularity during that time,” Go said.
After playing the ad, the senator asked: “Paano ito naging political ad? Are you promoting a candidate here or are you destroying a candidate?”
“Airing the black propaganda video appeared to be more important than earning income from airing legitimate ads that have already been paid for. The non-airing of ads already paid for, and the subsequent airing of ads for the purpose of maligning a person, display an intent to oppose a particular candidate,” he added.
Go also urged the network to stay true to its slogan of serving the Filipino nation.
“‘Di ba sabi ninyo po, ‘In the service of the Filipino nation’? Gan’un din po ako, serbisyo sa Pilipino, so unahin natin ang interes ng Pilipino (You have been saying, ‘In the service of the Filipino nation’? So do I, service for the Filipinos, so let us prioritize the interest of the Filipinos)… My job as a legislator is to vote according to conscience and my conscience is with the Filipino people,” he said.
But he expressed concern for ABS-CBN employees who could lose their job if the network’s franchise will not be renewed.
“Nonetheless, kung ako po ang tatanungin (If I were to be asked), I will also appeal to the President for the simple reason na ayaw ko na may mawalan ng trabaho (I do not want anybody to lose his or her job),” Go said.