Radio program airs offensive comments on Aquino death

JEERS to guest host and lawyer Larry Gadon for grossly insensitive remarks and his use of foul language when he announced the death of former President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III. 

Media broke the news that Aquino had been hospitalized sometime in the early morning of Thursday, June 24. In DWIZ’s morning radio program, Karambola, Gadon went on the air, saying, “may flash report ako… eto daw p********** Noynoy Aquino, patay na raw ang p********.” He was cut off by one of his co-hosts, Jonathan Dela Cruz, who said that they had already reported on the matter, but he continued, “Ay sana ay mamatay na ang p********.”  The other hosts of the program are Conrad Banal and Trixie Cruz-Angeles.

Later on in the program, he claimed that Aquino died because he had HIV, saying the information was from a close friend of Aquino whom he did not name. Gadon claimed, “Pero may HIV siya, kaya, ayon, hindi gumaling.” 

An official statement issued by Aquino’s sisters in the afternoon of the same day said Aquino passed away at 6:30 AM due to renal disease, secondary to diabetes. 

Netizens and support groups for persons with HIV (PLHIV) called out Gadon for violating Sec. 44 of RA 11166 which states that “It shall be unlawful for any editor, publisher, reporter or columnist, in case of printed materials, or any announcer or producer in case of television and radio broadcasting…  to disclose the name, picture, or any information that would reasonably identify persons living with HIV and AIDS, or any confidential HIV and AIDS information, without the prior written consent of their subjects.”

They also called for the disbarment of Gadon, who is already facing four other disbarment complaints. This latest incident displayed his utter lack of sensitivity in talking about HIV in a way that cast shame and stigma on those afflicted. 

Responding to the backlash, DWIZ apologized on their Facebook page on June 25:  “The Management of DWIZ would like to apologize to everyone and in particular, to the Aquino Family about the inappropriate statements made by our guest host in the show Karambola about the sudden death of our former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.” But the station did not say anything more about taking steps to address the expressed public grievance caused by Gadon’s remarks. 

In a statement on June 28, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) clarified that DWIZ “has ceased to be a member of KBP for some time now” and thus falls out of its regulatory reach. The self-regulatory framework established by the KBP has been weakened by news organizations that have removed themselves from the body for one reason or another. The public should consider supporting only those broadcast networks whose membership in KBP can facilitate their complaints and grievances. 

But non-members of the KBP are still held to ethical standards. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has required all broadcasters, including blocktimers, to undergo training in media ethics. 

Article 1 of KBP’s Broadcast Code of the Philippines 2007 clearly states that “rumors or gossips shall not be aired in the guise of news” and “side comments expressing personal opinions while a news item is being reported or delivered are prohibited.” Article 27 also reads that “vulgar, obscene, or indecent language is prohibited.” News organizations have adopted the practice of writing up these as a way of instilling professional values in the practice 

Indeed, Gadon’s speech was offensive and deserves public condemnation. Even in a free press system, the broadcast media are subject to government and self-regulation, in the light of its power and impact, which was anticipated if not measured in its earliest years. 

CMFR would hold reporting on the death of a person to requisite circumspection, given the inability of the dead to defend themselves.  There should be appropriate observance of the inherently profound significance of any human life coming to an end. Broadcasters should be reminded that in talking about a person’s demise, they should refrain from jokes, laughter, glibness or any other act that trivializes the event if only to avoid adding more pain to the bereavement of the deceased’s family and friends. 

On all these levels, the radio station and by association, the other hosts, owe the public more than just an apology on Facebook. They should ask themselves what public interest is served by their giving Gadon a podium from which to air his offensive and fact-challenged claims and views on public issues.