Self Regulation

Isang araw makaraang maghain ng reklamo si Nadia Montenegro laban kay Cristy Fermin sa Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) ay siya namang ibinaba ng ABS-CBN ang suspension order sa columnist-TV host effective until December 31, 2008.

Bale last Wednesday ’yon, nagpadala pa nga ako ng text message kay Cristy in an attempt to get her side on Nadia’s complaint para sa isinusulat kong running story on Startalk. However, I received no reply from Cristy.

Kung natanggap ni Cristy ang suspension order that same day, it was no surprise if she did not go on board sa kanilang radio program ni Jobert Sucaldito sa DZMM. Naka-monitor kasi ang nanay ko, an avid and rabid listener of Showbiz Mismo, from whom I got the news about Cristy’s suspension reconfirmed.

The following day, ‘hugas-kamay’ ang MTRCB sa ani nito’y self-regulatory move ng ABS-CBN. However, Ms. Consoliza Laguardia’s office has already formed a committee upang pag-aralan ang possible sanctions on Cristy, or on The Buzz for that matter, tulad ng reprimand, warning or suspension of the program. Ngunit hindi raw saklaw ng kanyang tanggapan ang sinumang host nito.

I could not help but compare Cristy’s case to Ogie Diaz’s, the proverbial sword of Damocles has likewise fallen upon him.

Kung ang battlecry ni Cristy ay ‘freedom of expression’ ang kay Ogie naman ay ‘‘freedom of presscon.’’ Kung suspension ang inihain kay Cristy, non-renewal of services naman ang kay Ogie. Kung may bisa hanggang December 31 ang kay Cristy, Ogie faces a bleak uncertainty kung kailan niya uli masasambit ang umagang kay ganda.

Naniniwala ako na ilan lang ito sa tinatawag na occupational hazards that we all have to live with.

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