GMA does not harbor grudge towards media

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo does not hold a grudge or harbor any ill feeling towards the media who have been very critical of her during her nine-year administration, her spokesman said yesterday.

Deputy presidential spokesman Rogelio Peyuan said Mrs. Arroyo, who admitted last Christmas that she was “a difficult subject to cover,” considers journalists among those who contributed to the successful implementation of the various projects and programs of her government.

“The President does not harbor any grudge or anger towards our brothers and sisters in the media, whether from newspapers, radio or television stations,” Peyuan told reporters at the sidelines of the 14th Midyear Media Conference and Executive Session of Publishers and Editors of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) in Makati City.

“I’m pretty sure that the President is not going to burn bridges with our brothers and sisters in the media, considering she is still going to serve this country in her modest capacity as the representative of the second district of Pampanga in the House of Representatives,” he said.

Mrs. Arroyo was at the event to receive a citation from PAPI for her continued support for members of the community media, for her exemplary accomplishments in public governance particularly in growing the economy and infrastructure development, and for supporting the community press over the years.

The Chief Executive was given a “Parangal at Pasasalamat” plaque of appreciation by PAPI president Juan Dayang and PAPI secretary Johnny Nunez.

The Philippines has been consistently tagged as one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists with some 104 media practitioners killed since 2001 and 137 since 1986.

International and local media organizations attribute the attacks against journalists to the prevailing climate of impunity in the Philippines.

Mrs. Arroyo very rarely holds press conferences but allows occasional chance interviews with reporters. Administration officials have repeatedly blamed what they believed was the unfair treatment of the media, with the instigation of the opposition, for her consistent negative survey ratings.

During a talk with Palace reporters in December last year, she vowed to be an easier subject to cover.

Organized in 1974, PAPI is one of the largest organizations of community editors, columnists, correspondents, publishers and broadcasters in the country.

Dayang also cited her signing of Presidential Proclamation 1187 in 2007 that declared December of every year as National Press Congress Month and Month of the Community Press in the Service of the Nation.

“Our job is to support programs of government and President Arroyo, in recent history, is the only one who participated actively in the affairs of the Publishers Association of the Philippines,” Dayang said.

Dayang, who has been at the helm of PAPI for more than 14 years, said Mrs. Arroyo has actively supported the activities of PAPI since she was still undersecretary at the Department of Trade and Industry.

“And in all these activities, the President realized that the community journalists can play a vital role in development,” Dayang said.

Arthur Daguro, publisher of Brigada based in Cauayan City, Isabela, thanked Mrs. Arroyo for her agricultural projects including farm-to-market roads which put the Cagayan Valley area as the premier food and rice basket of Luzon.

Nestor Abrematea, publisher of the Tacloban Star, cited the President’s visits even to the remote areas in Samar and Leyte to personally inspect the completion of projects, including the Samar Circumferential Road and the Agas-Agas Bridge in Sogod, Southern Leyte which, he said, opened the route from the Visayas to Surigao in Northeastern Mindanao.

Ben Diansay, publisher of the Mindanao Gazette based in Davao City, also thanked Mrs. Arroyo for her various development projects such as the upgrading of the 1,500-bed capacity Davao Medical Center, highways, circumferential roads, airports, and the establishment of roll on-roll off ferry system which enabled Mindanao farmers and businessmen to bring agricultural and other products to Luzon within 36 hours.

“Overall, she has done much better than many of her predecessors. I am confident history will judge her fairly and kindly,” Dayang said.