WHY ATM JOURNALISM MUST END

Since ONLY a society, with reasonable access to untrammeled flow of ideas and information,could give birth to a critically informed citizenry, the free press has become the first line of defense of democracy. Thus, burgeoning totalitarian regimes usually take control of, if not totally inhibit,the existence of free press. In a controlled press, truth is perverted to served the ends of the tyrant. Instead of being a liberating tool, the so-called Fourth Estate becomes a propaganda machine calculated to manipulate the free flow and exchange of ideas IN ORDER to create a singular thought of mind for the benefit of the tyrant. Under this milieu, prevarication or lies become the groom of reason while gossips act as its principal sponsor and truth is relegated to the odious and outcast status of a concubine.

The practice of ATM Journalism is a serious threat to our democracy and its sacrosanct principles. Its unfettered practice and effects could be the precursor of a totalitarian regime. Like a thief in the darkest of nights, it surreptitiously creeps and inures our heart to accept the existence of falsehood without revulsion. With its artful manipulation of facts, this form of journalism slowly gnaws on the foundation of truth and desensitizes our mind to its perversion. Deprived of our naturally inherent safeguards, the people are made vulnerable to the affectations of ATM Journalism and are gradually molded into a compliant herd of approving automatons, amoral, without a will of their own and virtual mental slaves to their unscrupulous Svengelis. It is for this reason that we have to purge in our midst this insidious practice of ATM Journalism.

Take the case of Gov. Among Ed Panlilio, a man of cloth and a virtual political neophyte in the province of Pampanga. He challenged, with his populist, grass roots-based moral crusade, a bevy of well-funded and politically savvy opponents. His crusade is based on his vision to make a moral and legal difference in the vicious and corrupt political system of the province. His entry into the gory field of local politics attracted like-minded people from the whole width and breadth of the archipelago and even beyond. When this political tyro defeated his more seasoned, deeply entrenched opponents and won as the governor for the province of Pampanga, the forces of evil in his midst stood up, especially those who were financially affected by his moral governance. A cabal of disgruntled politicians conspired and initiated to pull him down. To the surprise of no one, the prize of victory to Governor Among Ed is an unrelenting attack from ATM Journalism to destroy his credibility.

News articles after news articles came out turning the beleaguered governor into a bumbling, flip-flopping, political neophyte at the helm of a provincial government. ATM Journalism scrutinizes every step he took. While we may agree that there is nothing wrong about that journalistic practice to scrutinize every official acts of an elected leader, to take liberty to impute malice in every problem that occurred in the course of a Governor Among Ed’s governance while conveniently omitting facts why such problems occurred or by twisting facts to suit the vile conclusion of ATM journalism is obscene and totally unacceptable to a decent citizenry! It demonizes the competence of Governor Among Ed and trivializes his achievements. An example here is the remarkable collection his administration had on the provincial lahars operation under his watch. It took him only six months to collect almost 3x as much what his predecessor did in one year. Yet, ATM journalists were almost silent about it. On the other hand, ATM journalism tries to picture Governor Among Ed as a man without a word or flip-flopping on his commitment for having reneged on his promise to transfer the overseeing of the Provincial Lahar Operation to another politician. But ATM Journalism mysteriously failed to state that Among Ed made that commitment long before he became a governor and that the Local Government Code as amended prohibits the governor to delegate the management and supervision of the Lahar provincial operation to someone outside his office! Would Pampanga rather have a governor who is obstinate in favor of what is legally wrong or a governor who is strong enough in his principle to do what is right at all cost? Talking of making a mountain out of a molehill!

It is not enough that we are aware of the evil effects of ATM Journalism on us and our institutions. We have to ratchet up our involvement in this crusade by taking positive actions to cleanse them from our midst. We should not allow ATM Journalism to have the upper hand and control the rein of this epic battle of Governor Among Ed against corruption in the administration of Pampanga. We should reject the lies and the distortion of truth peddled by ATM Journalism as fitting tributes to all what is decent and right in the governance of the province of Pampanga. We must continue to unmask the fraud, greed and corruption in the governance in the province of Pampanga and disarm its “ body guard of lies”. What we do today defines what we are tomorrow!

TAMA NA! SOBRA NA! ALISIN NA!

STOP ATM JOURNALISM IN PAMPANGA!

UNMASK THE ATM JOURNALISTS IN PAMPANGA!

JOIN GOVERNOR AMONG ED PANLILIO IN HIS FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION!

JOIN THE CRUSADE FOR A BETTER AND MORAL GOVERNMENT FOR PAMPANGA!

JOIN THE PEOPLE POWER IN PAMPANGA!

ISULONG ANG MAPAYAPANG HIMAGSIKAN LABAN SA KURAPSION AT KASAKIMAN SA PAMAHALAAN NG LALAWIGAN NG PAMPANGA!

Fidel Umaga
MFP-NJ
2/12/08

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Philippine Politics