Suspicious

JEERS To the Philippine Daily Inquirer for a practice that can only lead to readers’ suspecting that there’s a “special arrangement” between certain reporters and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago.  A series of stories involving the senator, because far from newsworthy, makes it seem that  whatever she says deserves printing.

Apparently, Santiago  can now be quoted for her opinions on pop idols and pop music. The paper’s Nov. 28 front-page story about singer Jennifer Lopez’s Nov. 26 Manila gig prominently featured Santiago’s opinion about it, and indeed was headlined: “JLO wows ’em, but Miriam ho-hums”.

The Inquirer story said Lopez had failed to impress the senator.  “Saying she went to see the pop concert to expose herself to a different kind of genre,” the Inquirer reporter wrote, “classical music-lover Santiago bewailed what she called an assault on her ears.”

“I am strictly a high-brow girl. I like classical music, opera and ballet. I went for exposure, total immersion. I was shocked beyond belief at the attack the assault on my ears. It was so loud,” the Inquirer went on, quoting Santiago further. “Let me just say I was not impressed.”

A reporter countered Santiago’s statement by saying that Lopez was so sexy. “I have no ambition of becoming a sex kitten or assaulting people to deafness,” Santiago answered. “There were so many people and they stirred themselves into frenzy. So, actually they were worshiping at the foot of someone who was no longer human. She morphed into a digital idol. That was my experience last night.”

In addition to quoting Santiago extensively, the story also appeared on the paper’s front page, accompanying a photo of Jennifer Lopez—from behind.