Are the media asking pertinent questions or happy to be spoon fed by allege MWSS pillagers?
There is no doubt that media plays a vital role in nation building, or in the case of the Philippines, it is more of reconstructing it from the ruins of a pillaged and plundered nation. The abuse and endemic corruption are so prevalent that it does not surprise us anymore when it has become the norm all the way to the top, as shown by Gloria Arroyo and her running dogs.
We were ecstatic when P-Noy acknowledges the problem by urging the media to police their own ranks in his first SONA, but is it really enough that they police their own rank? The irony is some of them really do come up with slogans that turns out to be just an empty rhetoric when they proudly displays slogans such as “No Fear or Favor,” and I dare add Flavor. Why flavor? Well, some if not most of the news are oftentimes really more flavored with some slants here and there and the facts get lost as the press rolls. How exactly will policing their own rank succeed when the media is not exactly independent except for a few that dared to print the truth but whose existence does not depend on advertisers to survive. But that topic will be discussed on some other post and let us just focus on the immediate attempt to confuse the issue on the so-called “Midnight Deal” of Rogelio Singson.
No fear probably applies, but not the kind of fear attributed to telling the truth at the risk of getting the ire of those affected by the daring story. Our sense is that it was more of denseness or tapang ng hiya in telling a story telling a lie when they come up with stories full of holes or simply ignoring material facts. The allege “Midnight Deals” of Rogelio Singson during his stint with Maynilad, before his appointment by Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III at DPWH makes for a good headline news that hovers on sensationalism. No doubt that sensationalized news sells but the problem with this, is that they stretch facts to suit some people’s agenda.
Gil Cabacungan, Jr. of Inquirer writes from the reports of Jerry Esplanada about a “Midnight Deal” when clearly no deal transpired as no contract was executed between Pagcor and Maynilad because it was just a planned development, as reported by Christian V. Esguerra of the same outfit. Now that is odd, do they even compare notes before they go to press or are there different agendas here?
The problem is if we jump to conclusion right away and condemns Rogelio Singson which is unfair and not exactly accurate but misleading to say the least. Although we question or put into question the vetting process of P-Noy on what turns out to be a very misleading inaccurate report, the response was immediate at our Facebook community . Proof tthat supporters of change are not exactly blind partisan followers but will speak out instantly should some questionable incidents arise.
Worst is when Cabacungan writes about the fear of retaliation by his sources thus they want to remain anonymous at the MWSS that lends his story telling a lie a semblance of legitimacy. Is it really fear or something else? His source as it turned out were two of the directors at the MWSS so this makes me wonder if Cabacungan’s reporter were asking relevant question or just being spoon fed by their source who obviously had an agenda or an axe to grind. Did these journalists forget or were they not paying attention that these very same directors are being accused by P-Noy, exposed by Rogelio Singson of pillaging MWSS lavishing themselves with scandalously exorbitant remunerations? If the intent was to create a ruse and direct the anger at Rogelio Singson, well it worked for a day but did not exactly last as people are not that dumb to catch on to this hideous agenda of the pillagers.
It seems that the pillagers belonging to Arroyo’s camp are underestimating people who tirelessly work for change, desperately resorting to dirty tricks trying to turn the table at the agents of change on unsupported allegations is just so pathetic. Sooner or later the bogus lies will get discovered no matter how they try to twist or create a spin to the story. Magkano ba este, how come they never ask their source why they are coming up with wild unsupported accusations? Your guess is as good as mine but when some people divert the focus on the accuser with unsupported allegations instead of those accused of pillaging the agency then we become suspicious of the motivations behind the article.
Vigilance indeed is alive and well, a sign that people tirelessly working and hoping for change will not be easily discouraged by bogus scandals coming from people refusing to take responsibility for their misdeeds. The need for vigilance indeed is very apparent and we have to pay really close attention to who are the real culprits lest some unscrupulous reporting sidelines the issue that turns out to be nothing but bogus like the past cheat errr chief executive Gloria Arroyo.
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