TV Monitors

Irrepressible fan
BROADCASTER CHINO Trinidad wore several hats—that of reporter, compatriot, and fan—when he covered the bout between boxer Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Jorge Solis last April 13.
Reporting on Pacquiao’s fight preparations, Trinidad analyzed for anchor Vicky Morales what he saw: “Sasabihin ko na sa iyo nang diretsahan, pakiwari natin, ito pong si Jorge Solis ay hindi kaliga ng isang (I tell you frankly, I think Jorge Solis is not in the same league as) Manny Pacquiao.”
Asked by Morales if Filipino fans should worry about Solis, Trinidad, now a Pacquiao fan, replied: “Ang dapat nilang ikabahala, siguraduhin nila na nandun sila sa puwesto kung saan sila manonood kasi baka matapos nang maaga ito (What they should worry about is that they are in the right place to watch this because  this may end early).” He followed this up with, “Honestly, Vicky, sa tingin ko ang laban na ito, hindi tatagal (I think this fight won’t last long).”
Pacquiao may be a compatriot but does this give Trinidad the reporter the excuse to be biased?

Attention Pacquiao, Goma and Montano!
SAKSI CAME out with a timely report last March 21 on the pitfalls of the politicians’ use of celebrity endorsers.
Interviewed were Ramon Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms (IPER) and chief executive officer Gemma Gachuico of Estima Inc., who said, “If you use a celebrity just for the sake of popularity, voters might end up remembering the celebrity rather than the politician.”
Among this year’s prominent celebrity endorsers are Sarah Geronimo (for Edgardo Angara), Ai-Ai delas Alas (for Michael Defensor of Team Unity and Manuel Villar Jr. of Genuine Opposition), Kris Aquino (for brother Benigno Aquino III), and Sharon Cuneta (for husband Francis Pangilinan).
IPER’s study in 2004 actually showed that voters put more premium on competence rather than on popularity.
“Popularity became less important because of the experience with the Estrada government,” he said.

Forgetting the question
SAKSI’S COVERAGE of the Petron LPG tank leak in Makati last March 22 seemed to be more of an endorsement of the gas company rather than a news report.
The first part of the report focused on the alarm caused by the incident. The last part of the report had Caloy Tan, Petron’s safety and environment manager, talking about Petron’s fail-safe valves and the benefits of storing gas underground, which he said the company was doing for added safety.
The reporter did not ask why the leak happened despite Petron’s safety precautions and knowledge of the dangers of gas leaks.

Adding to the confusion
PRIMETIME TELEDYARYO tried but failed to explain clearly the arrest of Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Saturnino Ocampo, who had been accused of multiple murder charges in connection with the alleged communist purges in the 1980s.
In the March 21 newscast, Teledyaryo interviewed Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago who said Ocampo’s arrest was based on court findings that supposedly distinguished a political offender from a terrorist. The program’s explanation of the court findings and the definitions of “political offenders” and “terrorists” were not clear. Ocampo had been reportedly categorized as a terrorist.
The report mentioned a proclamation issued in 1987 by then President Corazon Aquino granting amnesty to rebels and political offenders, but it did not say if Ocampo was covered by the proclamation.
The report ended by saying, “Ayon sa pamunuang militar, patutunayan nitong si Satur ay terorista at hindi saklaw ng kahit anong amnesty proclamation  (According to the military, it will prove that Satur is a terrorist and is not covered by any amnesty proclamation).”
Neither Ocampo nor anyone from the military was interviewed for the report.

Lesson from a blunder
TOP STORY turned a controversy into an opportunity to educate its viewers when it reported on the statement of Genuine Opposition (GO) bet Sonia Roco describing Team Unity (TU) as “autistic.”
Explaining a condition that afflicts about 400,000 Filipinos, Top Story defined autism as a developmental disability which hinders the processing of information by the brain. The report also got the reaction of the Autism Society of the Philippines and provided details of Roco’s apology for her remark.

Trumpeting TU
WHAT BETTER media arm does Team Unity (TU) have than Primetime Teledyaryo?
The primetime newscast of the government television channel aired last March 26 an assessment of the administration ticket’s chances by no less than party stalwarts themselves.
Rep. Luis Villafuerte said local leaders from Camarines Sur were confident about TU’s victory in the province. The TU candidates would solve the the country’s problems and contribute to further progress in Bicol, he added.
In the same episode, TU spokesman Joseph “Ace” Durano claimed that the administration ticket would get a big boost when the campaign starts at the local level. The report, which had Durano as the lone source, said: “Naniniwala si Durano na magwawagi’t magwawagi ang 12 mga senatorial candidates ng Team Unity sa darating na halalan. (Durano believes that the 12 candidates of Team Unity will su-rely win in the coming elections.)”

Apologize to whom?
DEMANDING A public apology, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita was enraged at the opposition’s claim that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is the modern-day Mary Magdalene, according to Primetime Teledyaryo last April 4.
The news program did not get the side of the opposition. It did not even say what that story was all about—or at least say why Arroyo had been compared to Mary Magdalene.

Asking the wrong guy
In reporting about the senakulo, the passion play that is a part of Philippine Lenten tradition, Primetime Teledyaryo interviewed a most unlikely source: Police Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, director of the Northern Police Director district.
Bataoil talked about our version of the senakulo, its relevance to  Filipino culture, and what should Filipinos do during Lent.
What made the general an expert on Filipino Lenten traditions, Teledyaryo did not say.

Incomplete picture
BANDILA DID a good job last April 10 when it reported the Pulse Asia survey results for the senatorial elections. In the top 15 spots were eight candidates from the Genuine Opposition, five from Team Unity, and two were independent.
The report attributed the results to the extrajudicial killings, the hostage-taking drama by Armando Ducat Jr., and the arrest of Bayan Muna Rep. Saturnino Ocampo, events which happened within the period of the survey.
Bandila, however, failed to inform view-ers about equally important details of the survey: when and how was it done, what was the coverage, how many were the respondents, and what was the margin of error.

Bongbong’s advice
NOW A shadow of its old self, the Kilusan Bagong Lipunan (KBL) party has managed to cause a lot of trouble to the candidacy of Genuine Opposition senatorial candidate Alan Peter Cayetano. What game the KBL is playing and who is behind it, media had many chances to find out, but did not.
On March 21, TV Patrol World reported that Ilocos Norte Gov. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was dismayed by the senatorial bid of one Joselito Cayetano who was running under the KBL. The younger Marcos, who is president of KBL, was similarly disappointed with loyalist lawyer Oliver Lozano who questioned his leadership.
Marcos had declared that Cayetano was not an official member of the party.
Neither Cayetano nor Lozano was interviewed for the story. Lozano should have been asked to explain his posturing against the KBL leadership. Unfortunately, it was Marcos who was put to task.
“You have to ask him, not me. You’re asking the wrong person,” the KBL president answered.

How insensitive
BANDILA’S REPORT on the child abuse case filed against international billiards champion Ronnie Alcano on March 26  showed bias against the accuser, Alcano’s 14-year-old daughter.
The report gave Alcano the chance to air his side but the attempt at fairness somehow tainted his daughter’s reputation. Alcano’s manager, Perry Mariano, questioned the child’s motive behind the filing of the case, claiming that the complainant once asked him to lend her money. Whether true or not, the statement passed judgment on Alcano’s daughter.
The complaint against Alcano was filed by his daughter with the blessing of his estranged wife. It cited instances of sexual harassment on three specific dates. It was filed at a time when the billiards champ was competing at the Philippine 9-Ball Open at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
A follow-up report in Bandila the next day was again in favor of Alcano. Although it presented the medical findings that confirmed the complainant’s allegations of harassment, the report carried a statement from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez who expressed apprehension over the possible effects of the case on Alcano as a competing international billiard player. Gonzalez said Alcano could not leave the country while hearings were ongoing and therefore might not be able to represent the Philippines in the coming international competitions.
Bandila did not get any statement from Alcano’s wife or his daughter’s representative.

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