Presidential Communications Secretary Martin M. Andanar recently tried to torch the credibility of Senate reporters when he declared on national television that as much as $1,000 was offered to them as payment for covering a press conference, where a former policeman accused President Duterte of paying Davao Death Squad members to kill.
Coming from a Cabinet official, that was a serious charge. Journalists who work for mainstream media outlets are counting on the credibility they have gained over decades of reporting to lift them above so-called news sources online. The Senate reporters know that once they lose their credibility, they lose everything. That’s because they rely on the trust of their readers who believe in the veracity of their reports.
Andanar, however, seems not to mind tarnishing their reputation, despite the absence of credible proof to back up his payola claim. Asked where the dollars came from, Andanar speculated it could be from the “opposition”.
However, he backtracked later, saying it was difficult to speculate on where the supposed money came from.
Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, who helped arrange the press conference where former policeman Arturo Lascañas declared that Duterte had ordered killings as mayor, blasted Andanar for spreading false information.
“That’s the height of irresponsibility for a Cabinet official to say that publicly,” Trillanes said. “I categorically deny that I or anyone else paid $1,000 to reporters to cover the press conference. We won’t do such a thing. We have enough respect for the Senate media.”
Members of the Senate media instantly issued a statement to condemn Andanar’s claim: “We, broadcast, online and print journalists covering the Senate strongly protest the unsubstantiated and irresponsible claims made by Press Secretary Martin Andanar that reporters were given as much as $1,000 each to cover the press conference of alleged former Davao Death Squad leader Arthur Lascañas. To our knowledge, no such incident occurred. Such practice is not tolerated among Senate reporters.”
The Senate reporters dared Andanar to prove that $1,000 was, indeed, offered or distributed. “We would like to ask the secretary to prove his allegations as such statements placed our credibility and our respective media entities under a cloud of doubt. Otherwise, we demand a public apology from Secretary Andanar for spreading ‘fake news’, truly unbecoming of someone who, just a few months ago, came from the media industry.”
We don’t know why Andanar wanted to alienate himself from Senate reporters with his reckless remarks. As a former TV personality, he should be more circumspect in his pronouncements. He must not invent statements that could tear down the media’s reputation. So far, Andanar has issued no apology. And the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) is calling on reporters who covered the controversial press conference of an alleged member of the Davao Death Squad to file charges against Andanar who claimed they received bribes.
The NUJP said legal action should be taken against Andanar for tarnishing the reputation of Senate reporters: “We encourage our colleagues present at the press conference, as well as the outfits they work for, to consult their counsel and take a legal action against Mr. Andanar for shamelessly besmirching their reputation, and in this age of tokhang, even putting their safety at risk.”
We hope that Andanar has learned a lesson from this incident. Responsible government officials must always strive to err on the side of ethical action, which ensures that everyone’s best interests are protected. Sometimes, it is best to zip your mouth than to broadcast unverified and derogatory information on national television.
1 comment
Hmm does your advice include Trillanes? Oops maybe not after all Trillanes is a paying customer.