From the Newsrooms: The state of the nation in ‘ICU’

A rundown of key events and issues covered by newsrooms from June 19 to July 2, 2023.

DR. PAUL Alanis, Mayon’s resident volcanologist, compared Mayon Volcano’s condition to a patient in the intensive care unit (ICU): “not deteriorating but still abnormal.” An unfortunate metaphor, as the volcanic activity for a volcano is in its nature. When communities settle on volcanic slopes, volcanoes are blamed for the harm they do to human communities. So far, coverage has presented Mayon’s condition in terms of the disaster it has wrought for the communities that have lived and worked on the mountain. Little has been said about the urgent need to keep human settlements from hazardous areas in the country. 

But the news in the last two weeks may have highlighted enough for Filipinos to see the state of the nation as needing intensive care. It has been a year since President Marcos took office, and reports everywhere highlighted the various rates of approval given his one year of leadership. He agreed with the grade of “Incomplete” given by an academic who felt he should be doing more.

Gadon as Anti-Poverty Czar 

All newsrooms went with the breaking news of Larry Gadon’s recent appointment in government on June 26, a complete fiat by Marcos’s executive order appointing Gadon as Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation. Infamous for his use of obscenities in attacking his critics and other offensive antics, Gadon has been a controversial figure whose claim to fame has relied on other political figures, including the candidate Marcos Jr. Gadon denied that the appointment was just “political accommodation,” claiming his fitness for the post.  

But in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court on June 28 disbarred Gadon for “scandalous behavior” when he verbally attacked journalist Raissa Robles. So far, the Palace is keeping him. Newsrooms did little to follow up on various points made by either side. But The Philippine Star reported that Gadon was absent from the first meeting of the National Anti-Poverty Commission since he was appointed.

An op-ed by Joseph Gonzales at the Cebu-based The Freeman posed a good question: “So we are told, he is morally unfit to be a lawyer. And we are also told, he is good enough to care about the poor. What are we to make of this?”

Fishing Ban

The Philippine Daily Inquirer bannered on June 21 “PH, China make headway on ‘fishing ban’ – Marcos.” While the news seemed to note the progress, nothing much was said about the ban as a scandal, oblivious to Filipinos’ fishing rights in national waters upheld by the International Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague in 2016. 

The media gave background that China’s ban goes back to 1999; but hampers fishing activities on Philippine waters.  Despite strong assertions on the country’s territorial sovereignty, Marcos’s words seemed accommodating – wanting to coordinate timing the ban to be able to plan for fisherfolk who would temporarily lose their livelihood.

The arrangement largely went unquestioned in the reports. Reports missed valuable insight provided by a 2022 analysis in Policy Forum. The piece noted that the unilateral ban is supposed to promote marine sustainability. Still, it added, “China can use environmental policy as a tool to project power in the contested SCS.” 

Red-tagging teachers?

PhilStar.com first reported on June 23 an internal memorandum asking regional offices and school divisions of the Department of Education (DepEd) to identify members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) availing of the agency’s Automated Payment Deduction System (APDS). The story did note the context of DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte red-tagging ACT members. 

Other media quickly picked up protests of ACT officials that their members were being profiled, which they had already experienced in recent years. Coverage also included DepEd’s explanation. DepEd denied the memo was intended for profiling; in three separate interviews on The Source, The Chiefs and Headstart, spokesperson Michael Poa said the DepEd just wanted to update records as they had been receiving complaints of incorrect deductions. He did not specify what kind of fees were incorrectly deducted but noted that the APDS reflects deductions on mandated benefits, loans, and membership fees. Anchors did not raise with Poa that Duterte’s red-tagging justified the concerns of ACT members.

ACT, also speaking to media, stressed that they update their members list and submit it to DepEd monthly. LGBTQIA+

On Pride Month, solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community has yet to spread, it seems.

Last June 29, transgender actress Awra Briguela was arrested by police following an incident in a bar in Makati City. A video clip circulated on social media showing the police manhandling Briguela. Reporting on the brawl, some online reports as well as newscast Frontline Pilipinas showed her mug shot. But media did not note that other individuals who were in the altercation were not subjected to the same treatment. Talking to reporters, the other party involved in the brawl insisted that Briguela started the fight. Media did not ask the police why only Briguela was arrested.

The police said Briguela was charged with physical injuries, alarm and scandal, direct assault and disobedience to a person in authority. Reports carried protests from LGBTQIA+ community members and advocates, who condemned the police for brutality and transphobia.

Attacks on Media

On June 29, media broke the news that Joshua Abiad, photojournalist for the tabloid Remate, was wounded in a gun attack outside his residence. Three other members of his family were wounded. Sadly, one child was shot and has since passed away. The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) said in a statement that Abiad is a “PNP/PDEA witness” for drug operations. 

News time and space continued its decline. ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo aired the last of its programs on June 29, officially ceasing operations at 10 pm. Bulatlat cited the statement of Jon Villanueva, president of the ABS-CBN Employees’ Union, that the closure of the 16-year-old news service was a direct impact of the non-renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise.  Twitter user Albert Lirio compiled in a thread brief descriptions of the programs as they aired during the day, as well as closing spiels and farewells of the hosts.

Some Good News

Media also picked up the lighter stuff, following the continuing saga of the long-standing trio who has held a loyal noontime TV audience for decades. Inquirer gave prime front page space to the move of show hosts, Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (popularly known as TVJ) from GMA-7 to TV5 on July 1. Entertainment news sections and segments also featured the move on July 1 of ABS-CBN’s noontime show, It’s Showtime, ABS-CBN’s to GTV, a subsidiary free-to-air channel of GMA Network, Inc.

Frontline Pilipinas carried the news on the new TVJ show, while both Saksi and TV Patrol reported on It’s Showtime finding a new home. Reports featured the official contract signing for the shows. Felipe Gozon, GMA Network’s CEO, proudly said in a press briefing that the “TV war is finally over.”

Media featured all kinds of activities to celebrate Pride Month. While it was not a top story, TV and online reports, as well as The Philippine Star, picked up a “first” in the country: On June 24, Quezon City launched the “Right to Care Card,” a card that, through a Special Power of Attorney, authorizes queer couples to make healthcare decisions for their partners. Current Philippine laws only allow spouses or next of kin to make such decisions, particularly in emergency cases. The reports noted that the card was part of the local government’s celebration of Pride Month.

As it is the first of its kind, Mayor Joy Belmonte acknowledged that discussions and orientations are needed to implement the program effectively.