Even the frenzy being generated in our media about the grave threat to press freedom seems to be a self stimulated tempest in a teapot. Is the press being bullied or harassed by the government? Of course. No matter what administration is in office, media and government are always on a collision course. It is the nature of the relationship between the two that must inevitably exist even in the most democratic societies. I remember the goal we set out in life when we started out as cub reporters and youthful journalists. It was, to express it in the most cheeky terms: "to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted." Media believes, and rightly so that it must criticize the actions and decisions of those in government, otherwise, journalists end up as collaborators.
The dictator Ferdinand Marcos, one of the smartest presidents this country ever produced, knew this full well. This is why on September 21, 1972 he demolished the media. His military bullies arrested leading publishers and journalists in one fell swoop and he padlocked every newspaper and radio television network as the first step in imposing martial law. Then, he re-opened a few newspapers and radio-television networks under the firm control of his family and cronies. For example, the Manila Bulletin was owned and run by his own military aide, General Hans Menzi; the Times Journal was owned by his brother-in-law, Governor and later Ambassador Benjamin "Kokoy" Romualdez; while the Daily Express was in his hip pocket. The largest and most powerful daily of pre-martial law days, the Manila Times, was shut down and its Publisher, my boss, Don Joaquin "Chino" Roces was arrested. Tatang Chino was among us in the same barracks-prison with Macoy’s most hated political rival, the up-and-coming Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino in the maximum security compound of Fort Bonifacio. But everybody already knows this oft-repeated item of history.
If you ask me, the attempt to equate GMA with Marcos as a threat to press freedom because of recent events is ludicrous. As for the murder of journalists, this is always the peril we must face even though the Philippines rates among the highest in this sort of bloody attrition. We must continue to fight for justice for those who have been slain not only in our profession but in every walk of life. Murder is always foul. Killers and masterminds must be brought to justice. But if you examine the statistics, we newsmen have been falling to the bullet at more or less the same yearly average from the Marcos to Cory to FVR and Erap administrations. La Gloria’s government is remiss in not protecting the lives of media people enough, but clearly there is no government attempt to target and slay even the most critical in our media.
The harsh remarks of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno regarding television coverage of events like the Philippine Marine standoff last February 26 are, of course, not salutary. And the Department of Justice’s announcement that the monitoring of media outfits will continue despite the lifting of Proclamation 1017 could be interpreted as a threat. But that’s all it is, a threat.
I know it’s an old sermon of mine but it needs repeating. It’s time we in media and the over excited elements in politics returned to sanity and drew back from the precipice of exaggeration. There is too much bad mouthing going on, especially of our own country. How can we expect foreigners, including foreign investors and traders, if we don’t respect ourselves and each other? Look at how Indians, Thais, Chinese, brag about their own countries. In contrast to this, we Filipinos are the first to decry ourselves.
Just look across the sea to Thailand today where their Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was furiously assailed by senators, urban-politicians and whipped up mobs in Bangkok on a number of accusations including his own and his family’s corruption. Who knows, Thaksin who rules with an autocratic hand may indeed be guilty of indiscretion. But in the countryside, the provincial folk rallied to his support because they believe he has also brought good to them. Here, we seem to have no such sense of unity and common purpose. Many of us in the city, alas, have demonstrated a nihilistic mentality and grandly call it democracy. Anyway, that’s how I see it.
The best measure of how our people feel is to go out into the streets and look at how our citizens are going about their daily business, working hard and coping with the problems of life, as well as praying in our churches. They’re not obsessed with political strife but with the business of making a living and striving for a better life. We don’t need a new constitution or system of government. We just need to educate our people and help them to brighten the corner where they are.