Kudos to our 26th Press Freedom Week!
I didn’t realize that this week was Press Freedom Week that the Cebu media has been celebrating for 26 years now, so in the end no one reminded me of this week’s event that happened at the Cebu Provincial Capitol which is why I was not able to attend these ceremonies. Add the realization that many of these media events are “strictly” via invitation only and I didn’t get any invitation as of now, so let me just celebrate our 26th Press Freedom Week by my lonesome and kudos to the media in Cebu for not failing to celebrate Press Freedom Week.
I gathered that Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo officiated the Mass at the Provincial Capitol and that his message to the media was simple: “Truth alone can transform belief into power. This is the reason, why, you my dear friends in the media are powerful. People believe in what you say. You have credibility, you are trustworthy but do not let his power get into your head.” How very true, especially in these trying times when fake news seems to have captured many events.
The most recent one was news from CNN that supertyphoon Ompong was following the path of supertyphoon Yolanda. Since that came from CNN, many people thought it was true. But in the end, PAGASA complained that this news did not come from them. Already so many believed this report, but it was in reality fake news.
Worst of all, CNN did not issue some kind of clarification so as not to confuse their televiewers. This is what fake news can do and it becomes worse when the media outlet does not issue any clarificatory news. So in the end, Msgr. Villarojo was correct in his assessment of the media.
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We learned in the news that Pryce Gas, Inc., an industrial distributor, plans to file charges against Republic Gas Corporation (Regaso) for allegedly illegally storing and transporting PGI-owned gas cylinders. Apparently last September 12 the National Bureau of Investigation bagged at least 601 empty PGI cylinders during a raid at the LPG refilling plant of Regaso in Barangay Cogon, Compostela, Cebu.
Frankly speaking, I do not know whether or not their proposed suit includes the people whom Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña freed from the Parian Police Station because apparently that business supposedly run by his son’s friend is an illegal business. Of course we have to find out what happened to that particular case which the Cebu City Police have filed a case against Mayor Osmeña.
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For the past three weeks pundits have been complaining about the prices of basic goods and this can be blamed on the rising prices of oil in the world market. So it was quite amusing to read a news report in The Philippine STAR that no less than President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte complained about high prices. The president also pointed out that airfare rates have also ballooned because of high oil prices.
Last week, the CAB approved the imposition of fuel surcharges, an act that was disallowed three years ago. In a resolution, CAB said aviation fuel prices have risen to $85.16 per barrel as of April 2018 from $63.66 per barrel in the same period last year. Because of the resolution, passengers of one-way domestic flights may have to pay P34 to P769 while passengers bound for other countries may have to pay P163 to P9,860 more, depending on the destination and jet fuel costs.
Meanwhile, the Freedom from Debt Coalition has called for the suspension of Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law amid its “snowballing impact” on the prices of basic commodities and services. FDC president Rene Ofreneo cited the “glaring effects of TRAIN on the economy,” with inflation breaching a nine-year high of 6.4 percent in August and the surge in the prices of basic food items, including rice.
“Why does the Duterte administration and its economic managers still consider the TRAIN law to be an indisputable success despite three quarters of proof that only its suspension can benefit the Filipino people?” Ofreneo said in a statement. Come now, should we blame TRAIN for the increase in prices of basic commodities, or is someone else to blame?
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