TV Monitors

A pro-GMA station
Primetime Teledyaryo, the news program of state-owned NBN-4, leaves no doubt that it is a pro-administration station; its reporters, administration spokespersons.
Last March 19, Joseph Parafina reported on a recent meeting of small-scale entrepreneurs who were supposedly happy with the economic growth under the Arroyo administration.
Parafina said: “Damang-dama na talaga ang magandang takbo ng ekonomiya sa bansa sa ilalim ng liderato ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Kaya naman, ganoon na lamang ang pag-usbong ng iba’t ibang negosyong nakatutulong sa pag-angat ng kabuhayan ng mamamayan (One can feel the growth of the economy under the leadership of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. That is why there are more businesses which help improve the lives of the people).” He did not cite any source regarding his claim about the country’s improving economy.

Explaining a puzzle
24 Oras shed light on a very contentious practice during elections: political surveys.
Interviewed for the March 16 feature on surveys was TNS Philippines’ associate research director Joy Casuga, who explained the methods used by the polling group. Two TNS employees showed that conducting surveys was almost similar to actual voting—respondents fill up mock ballots that are dropped in ballot boxes. The data is passed on to Pulse Asia, TNS Philippines’ survey partner, for interpretation.
Pulse Asia executive director Ana Maria Tabunda explained why the rankings of candidates fluctuate in the surveys.
The report also included the opinions of several candidates about the credibility of polling firms.

No explanation
If the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s March 20 report about a Pulse Asia survey on leading party-list groups adequately explained the concept of a survey’s margin of error, GMA-7’s morning program Unang Hirit failed when it did the report in broadcast.
Unang Hirit cited the party-list groups that figured in the survey, but did not explain that the groups that got two percent and below in the survey might lose their seats because of the survey’s two-percentage-point margin of error.

Missing the bigger story
Reporters assigned to cover the campaign must know election laws by heart. But this does not seem to be the case with reporters who interviewed the wife of Team Unity senatorial candidate Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
Last Feb. 28, 24 Oras reported on Kiram’s plan to seek financial assistance from foreign governments. Kiram’s wife Dayang Celia was quoted as saying, “We are still waiting for donations, we are hoping Muslim countries, Muslim embassies will support the sultan.”
Surprisingly, the report did not point out that Kiram’s plan is a violation of election laws.
Article XI, Section 96 of the Omnibus Election Code declares that it is illegal for any candidate or political party to receive or solicit contributions of whatever form or nature from foreign sources.
Neither Kiram nor his wife was asked further questions to clarify their fundraising plan. No media outfit followed up the report.

A toothless law
The March 8 edition of TV Patrol World gave a timely and comprehensive special report about political dynasties in the country.
Former Commission on Elections chair Christian Monsod defined for the newscast the two types of dynasties: successive, in which an official who has reached the term limit passes on his post to his son, wife, or brother and then reclaims his post; and simultaneous, in which members of a clan hold various elective posts in an area.
The news program noted the constitutional provision against political dynasties—Article II, Section 26—which states: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
Also interviewed in the report was Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., whose son Aquilino III is running for senator. The elder Pimentel said his son is not violating any law because there is no enabling law prohibiting political dynasties.
Monsod, also a member of the 1987 Constitutional Commission, said the absence of a law against political dynasties has made the law on term limits useless since government officials use this as an excuse for violating the constitutional ban.

A good start but…
One of the criticisms against the major  networks’ election coverage is that discussion of relevant issues has been relegated to the late-night (actually early morning) public affairs programs.
GMA-7 took a step towards raising the level of coverage of the senatorial elections on primetime television. 24 Oras started last March 12 the segment “Sagutin ang Isyu,” which aired the views of senatorial candidates on certain issues and their plans on how to address some of the country’s problems.
The topics that have been featured so far were on poverty, extrajudicial killings, population, wage hike, divorce, political dynasty, and same-sex marriage. Three different candidates were interviewed for every topic.
Unfortunately, the reports lasted for only a little over two minutes—too short for the candidate to elaborate on how they would be implementing their plans.

Turning a blind eye
Last March 21, Primetime Teledyaryo quoted at length the speech delivered by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo before graduates of the Philippine Military Academy.
President Arroyo said: “The strength of the peso is boosting social amelioration by denting the price of water, gasoline, LPG, and food. We’re making headway in the social payback of economic growth. This is the real story taking place in the lives of the people. The combined potency of a robust economic blueprint and the productivity of Filipinos here and abroad have caught the eye of investors and political investors who are now seeing a common trajectory of economic and political stability. The focus of the world is not only on the Philippine economic recovery but the way we are making democracy work while keeping the threat of terror at bay.” (italics by PJR Reports)
Was Arroyo talking about the extrajudicial killings in the country which have earned a lot of international criticisms against the administration? The only reaction to the President’s speech came from Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, who predictably agreed with what Mrs. Arroyo said.

Why they can’t put out those fires
Last March 19, 24 Oras reported how the lack of manpower and budget prevented the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) from responding quickly to the spate of fires that hit Metro Manila recently.
BFP public information chief Renato Marcial said the bureau’s units are still operating on the 2006 reenacted budget. He said the BFP needs an additional 11,000 employees to operate more effectively. Most cities and towns in Metro Manila reportedly lack firemen, which is the problem in areas frequently hit by fire.
The report presented data from the National Statistics Office and BFP which showed that there is only one fireman for every 4,949 citizens. The ideal ratio is 1:2000.
Quezon City had the most number of fires in 2006.
Oscar Villegas, Quezon City fire marshal, said their fire stations have adequate equipment. Their teams, however, are undermanned by 150 people.

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