47% of Filipinos Say it is Dangerous to Criticize the Government

One ought to not put a lot of stock in surveys. They are mostly popularity contests with a small sample size that can be twisted every which way. However one recent survey does give cause for concern.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/10/23/sws-47-pct-say-publishing-govt-criticism-dangerous

Almost half of Filipinos agreed that it was dangerous to publish anything critical of the government, a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed. 

The SWS survey released Tuesday showed that 47 percent of Filipinos believed that it was dangerous to print or broadcast content critical of the administration, even if it was the truth. 

Some 27 percent of Filipinos were undecided, while 26 percent disagreed with the statement.

"The resulting net agreement score of +20, classified by SWS as moderate, is 4 points below the moderate +24 in December 2021," the SWS said. 

The highest number of respondents who said it was still dangerous to publish content critical of the administration came from Metro Manila, followed by the Visayas, Luzon, and Mindanao.

However, net agreement scores in Metro Manila and Visayas fell in the recent survey compared to the figures recorded in December 2021, during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

In Metro Manila, the number of people who said it was dangerous to publish anti-administration content fell to +28 from +41 in December 2021, while the number in Visayas also decreased to +23 from +36.

The pollster said it aimed "to assess respondents' opinions on the state of press freedom in the country." It noted the World Press Freedom Day was observed on May 3. 

SWS conducted the survey from Dec. 10 to 14, 2022, using in-person interviews for 1,200 adults nationwide: 300 each from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The pollster also clarified that the survey was non-commissioned, and was only done on SWS' own initiative and released as a public service.

Now, this is not shocking at all. To an outsider yes it would be not only reprehensible but incomprehensible. In light of the EDSA protests in 1986 which ousted Ferdinand Marcos one has to wonder what happened. Let me offer a theory.

By 1986 Marcos had been in power for over 20 years. By that time his hand had become heavy and people were tired of it. They responded by forcing him and his family to leave the country. But over the years complacency set in. Those who replaced Marcos didn't fix the nation which culminated in the election of Duterte who ran as a strong man desirous to not just rid the Philippines of criminality but to kill all the criminals! 

Throughout his administration any and all critics were red-tagged and declared to be destabilizers of the nation. Even Vice President Leni Robredo did not escape this charge. Now the status quo has set in so much so that Bongbong Marcos, a lying convicted criminal who continues to defend his parents' crimes against the nation, was elected to high office. 

The good thing is that these respondents do not run the media. The bad thing is that many Filipinos with this same attitude have immigrated to the West which undermines the values of those nations who see it the duty of the people to criticize the government. The other bad thing is that the media in the Philippines is incredibly superficial and does not go far enough to condemn and criticize the government when it is warranted. 

Which media outlet has truly covered the Marawi siege and all the inconsistencies and so-called intelligent failures? None as far as I know. 

Which media outlet has constantly covered the regular assassination of politicians throughout the nation and demanded an end to it? None that I know of. Not unless it comes to a head like it did in February, 2023.

There are a lot of easy takeaways from this survey but I don't think they are necessarily true or helpful. Are Filipinos complacent and submissive? Yes. To a large degree yes they will endure the boot stamping the face by elected officials. Do not forget that officials are quick to file libel cases against their critics.  Who wants to deal with that? Truly criticizing the government is dangerous for anyone who would dare to do so. 

But there is something more at work here than mere bootlicking. I don't think you will ever find a Filipino who will say, "To Hell with the government."

But maybe you will!

The Movement for Media Reform Is Just Another Pro-Marcos Propaganda Group

The Movement for Media Reform is one of several propaganda groups formed after the May elections which saw the Marcos family return to Malacanãng. Ostenisbly MMR is a group of likeminded people who have banded together to lobby for media reform in the Philippines. Before looking at their mission statement or "What we do" it would do well to look at who forms their core group.

Now, being that this is a group advocating media reform one would think that the core members, like the man who formed the National Union of Philippine Journalists (NUJP), would all be journalists. You would be mistaken.

https://movementformediareform.com

Out of these 11 people only TWO describe themselves as journalists. TWO!!! Compare that to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) which was founded by NINE journalists.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) is an independent, nonprofit media agency that specializes in investigative reporting. It was founded in 1989 by nine Filipino journalists who realized, from their years in the beat and at the news desk, the need for newspapers and broadcast agencies to go beyond day–to–day reportage.

https://pcij.org/about/

Let's take a look at this motley crew of...journalist reform lobbyists? I don't know what to call them but they aren't journalists though they think they can tell journalists how to do their job. Imagine shouting at your mechanic from the sideline as he tries to fix your car. It's the same thing.

First up is the big dog René Astudillo. I call him the big dog because he is the first listed and he authored the MMR's mission statement as we shall see. 

This guy is the only one who claims to be a regular journalist. According to his Linkedin profile he is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association but he lists no media outlets as former employers in his CV.  He also studied mass communication at St. Louis University in Baguio City. Aside from those two blurbs there is nothing to indicate he has ever been a practicing journalist. Currently he is a Human Resources manager. 

René's biggest claim to fame is being the creator of The Adobo Chronicles. This is where the Satirist sobriquet comes into play. Founded in 2013 by Astudillo The Adobo Chronicles describes itself as follows:

THE ADOBO CHRONICLES  is your source of up-to-date, unbelievable news. Everything you read on this site is based on fact, except for the lies.

https://adobochronicles.com/about/

The site has become so popular that Astudillo had to reformat it so that people could tell what was factual from what was false because so many people were taking it all as being factual. 

NEW FORMAT: The Adobo Chronicles has recently adopted a new format to help readers distinguish between fact and fiction. Statements and paragraphs in our posts that are in italics  represent the facts.  The rest are fiction. (Note: This does not apply to our Adobo Chronicles’ Fact Check: Fact-checking the Fact Checkers.)

One of the most recent posts mocks Leni Robredo for receiving an honorary degree from Harvard.

https://adobochronicles.com/2022/09/07/even-puppets-receive-honorary-doctorate-degrees/

It’s been much ado about nothing, this honorary doctorate degree given by Ateneo de Manila University to former Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo.

Honorary degrees are now known as a celebratory gesture and hold no weight in society, though some recipients use the Ph.D title and add it to their curriculum vitae, despite being urged not to do so. 

So, don’t get excited if you or anyone you know and look up do receives an honorary Ph.D. Even puppets get them. Literally!

Where is the joke?  This is awful!  I did this joke back in 2017 when Duterte was awarded an honorary degree by the UP. AND I included Leni because she also recieved a honorary degree from the University of Saint Anthony in Carmines Sur.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2017/04/on-honorary-degrees.html 

The Adobo Chronicles is so unfunny they won't even show the joke that muppets, NOT PUPPETS, get honorary degrees.  It's lame!

Here's another anti-joke from the Adobo Chronicles. 

https://adobochronicles.com/2022/08/22/president-bongbong-marcos-orders-retention-of-august-21-as-a-national-holiday/

It’s perhaps one of the most difficult decisions President Bongbong Marcos has had to make so far: to retain August 21 as a national holiday.

August 21 is the death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino, and is the birthday of the First Lady, Lisa Araneta Marcos.

But it is also common knowledge that August 21 is the anniversary of the Plaza Miranda bombing which many believe to be the works of anti-Marcos and communist elements. It resulted in the death of 9 people and injury to 95. Aquino was mysteriously absent during that Liberal Party rally.

Marcos’ decision came in the form of an Executive Order.

All’s well that ends well.

What is funny about this? The fact that the enemy of Marcos' father is Ninoy Aquino and a holiday celebrating Aquino is the same day as his wife's birthday? That's not very funny. Definitely needs some work. How about this send off of Duterte:

https://adobochronicles.com/2022/06/16/rodrigo-dutertes-legacy-colorful-philippine-foreign-policy/

At noon on June 30, 2022, Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos, Jr., takes his oath as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines.

As we look back to the past six years under Rodrigo Duterte, his colorful foreign policy, marked with unique diplomacy comes to mind. It is a legacy that could define, or redefine the country’s standing with the world community.

Tagged by many as a departure from the Philippines’ long-standing attachment to Uncle Sam, Duterte opened the door for harmonious and beneficial relationships with its Asian neighbors and world powers that matter. 

Today, the Philippines has earned multiple distinctions as a province of China, a Federated State of Russia and Prefecture of Japan.

Six years may be too short for a good President. Another two years in duterte’s term could have made the Philippines a Caste of India. Who knows?

Again, where is the joke? Remember the regular font is supposed to be the funny stuff. But the fact is, as can be seen in the picture, Duterte's pro-China stance did cause some to mock that the Philippines is now a Province of China. A Caste of India? Does Astudillo even know what caste means? It's so terribly unfunny. And this is the guy who wants to reform the media. 

Let's look at the rest of the crew. We don't even have to go in-depth because their listed qualifications say it all.

Hedda Tady - Educator/ Content Creator

Epee Rafanan - Culture Advocate/ Events Organizer

Jeremiah Odra - Business Operations/ Marketing Comms-PR

Peter Serrano - Actor/ Trainor/ Host/ Advocate

Emil Bichara - Trainer/ Public Speaker/ Life Coach

PJ Cabrera - Mobile Journalist/ OH Nurse/ Influencer. This is the second guy on this list who claims he is a journalist. But what is a mobile journalist? Sounds like something he made up. 

Brian Neyra - Artist/ Designer/ Geopolitical Observer Isn't anyone who reads the news a geopolitical observer?

Julie Odra - Community Development Consultant

Melchor Vergara - Entrepreneur/ Netizen Everybody who uses the internet is a Netizen! 

Orman Manansala - Banker/ Blogger

Out of all these people Hedda Tady, Brian Neyra, and Melchor Vergara have contributed to The Adobo Chronicles and Epee Rafanan is mentioned in an article. 

In San Francisco, Epee Rafanan, co-founder of a Filipino American gay social organization, Barangay, said  teaching gayspeak in Philippine schools is long overdue.

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/08/13/gayspeak-to-be-taught-in-philippine-schools/

Let's look at the mission statement of The Movement for Media Reform.

The Movement for Media Reform was born out of the changing landscape in the news media, characterized by increasing citizen participation in the spread of information on the Internet. Bias and ideological agenda on the part of some in the mainstream news media (MNM) have always been a given but have surfaced more clearly as they tried to desperately keep their standing as the only legitimate source of information.

MNM became threatened, having to compete for revenue as well as subscribers and followers. Survey after survey has shown the declining trust in the news media by audiences and consumers. It is amid this scenario that concerned individuals banded together to form an online movement aimed at reforming the news media in the hope that someday soon, they will regain the people’s trust as a fair, balanced and legitimate source of information needed for nation-building.

• Being a movement of volunteers, we rely on our members and supporters to help us achieve our mission, and to actively participate in the things that we do. In summary, we ascribe to our 3 C’s: * Check the facts * Call out bias and promote the truth * Create trust in the news To this end, some of the things we do include (but are not limited to):
• Fact-check the fact checkers.
• MNM and fact checkers do not have the monopoly of truth and accuracy. We will strive to call out news sources that knowingly or unknowingly spread disinformation.
• We will constantly remind news sources (individual journalists and news brands) of their responsibility to provide their audiences with factual information, void of editorializing, self-serving news slants, or obvious propaganda.
• We partner with reputable polling firms, like Publicus Asia, in disseminating results of media trust and other news-related surveys so that news consumers are guided in their choice of information sources.
• We engage our membership to weigh in on important issues related to news media responsibility along with our own membership polls, summaries and results of which we forward to appropriate agencies and organizations in both the government and private sectors.
• As resources become available, we will convene journalists and social media influencers to participate in skills-building workshops, training and webinars, inviting speakers and experts to discuss responsibility under Freedom of the Press and Free Speech.
• We will use all available social media venues to promote and generate support for our mission and activities both locally and international.

https://movementformediareform.com/what-we-do/

The Movement for Media Reform is not pleased by the Mainstream News Media (MNM) because not only do they have biases but they also want to be seen as the only legitimate source of information. But trust in the MNM has eroded. Therefore the MMR wants to act as a buffer between the MNM and the public. They want to fact check the fact checkers, alert news sources to their biases, and eventually convene journalists and social media influencers to build their skills and "discuss responsibility under Freedom of the Press and Free Speech." But who fact checks those who fact check the fact checkers?

Now, the only responsibility anyone ever has is to tell the truth whatever it may be. Judging from the way the MMR has been operating so far they are not very interested in truth. In fact in their Twitter feed there is hardly anything about media reform or calling out biases. There is a lot of calling out the usual suspects DDS has been targeting for the past six years.  This includes Leni Robredo, ABS-CBN, and Rappler. Take this tweet for instance.

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1559898661542596610

News media should invest in hiring competent headline writers…otherwise they end up with captions akin to this : “Police shoot dead armed man” instead of “Police shot an armed man dead”. :)

In a rush to mock Rappler the MMR only shows their ignorance. First of all this is not a Rappler article. It is from the AFP who sells articles to news outlets around the world. Second of all "to shoot dead" someone is grammatically correct English. Just Google it. 

Here is another instance of MMR attempting to fact check someone and ending up with egg on their face.

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1556068543963078657

What Richard Heydarian is saying here is why should anyone care about mass atrocities from 40 years ago when EJKs in the past few years didn't cause anyone to blink an eye? Rene Astudillo, the big dog of MMR, feigns outrage saying, "He wants people to be INVESTED in mass atrocities???" Does he think Richard wants people to financially invest in mass atrocities? How much more stupid can he be? René is doing this not because he is for media reform but because he does not like Richard Heydarian's politics.

The fact is René Astudillo and the MMR are not for genuine media reform. What they really want is for the media to stop talking about the evils and crimes the Marcos family have foisted and continue to foist upon this nation. Here is René Astudillo actually defending the brutal Marcos dictatorship.

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1550780297414725632

Of course there is no smoking gun on MMR's Twitter feed. Nothing that says the Marcos family is innocent. But there is this:

https://twitter.com/MMR4MediaReform/status/1536892981202255873

"There are two sides to a story." This is exactly what the Marcos revisionist and denialist crowd has been saying for a number of years. The thing is we know the whole story. It has been told in books, in newspaper articles, and most importantly in court records. Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda plundered the nation and had their critics imprisoned or murdered.  That is simply a fact of history that no amount of memes or tweets will ever change. 

Here is proof that the MMR cares very little about actual journalists and the danger of being a journalist in the Philippines. Rather than condemn the assassination of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid they essentially blame him for his death. 

https://www.facebook.com/movementformediareform/posts/129857346473781

In the murder of radio anchor Percy Lapid

No one is suppressing free press we don't know the whole story of his life and who he bumped into.

Let's not avoid comments against "press freedom" because until now we are free to express and air.

We don't know who he bumped into? True enough and while this assassination may turn out to have nothing to do with his journalistic activities the fact is the Philippines remains dangerous for journalists. Percy is the 5th radio broadcaster to be assassinated this year. Yet these frauds at the MMR cannot even bring themselves to acknowledge this fact and condemn the killing of journalists. Instead they hide behind a pretend impartiality saying they do not want to "jump the gun."  Could it be because Percy was an outspoken critic of Marcos and Duterte and the MMR is all about protecting Marcos from all criticism? Indubitably. Now we are told by the killer that he received his orders from New Bilibid prison. 

Does the media need reform? Sure. The news can be reported better with less biases and more pertinent information. The Philippine media should stop showing dead bodies even if they are blurred. And dissenting voices should be allowed without fear of being red-tagged which can turn out to be deadly. In the Philippines journalists are killed with impunity rather often. But don't expect the Movement for Media Reform to discuss any of that. They are just another of the many propaganda groups seeking to shield Marcos from criticism for both his and his parent's crimes.

Did Ferdinand Marcos Really Order a Media Blackout When He Declared Martial Law?

Is this gossip? Is the media blackout ordered by Ferdinand Marcos after declaring martial law something that never happened?  

Editor and Publisher 1972-09-30: Vol 105 Iss 40

President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who has in the past defended the ideals of a free press, virtually suspended operation of the Philippines news media under martial law last weekend. 

President Marcos, who in 1957 success-fully defended a newspaper reporter arrested by President Carlos P. Garcia for refusing to divulge the source of a news story and who later co-sponsored a bill to protect news sources except in cases of sedition or treason, ordered at least nine prominent Manila newsmen under arrest and shut down all but two of the 15 newspapers.

The Philippine president also issued a set of tight news reporting guidelines that must be followed or else violators will face arrest. 

Those newsmen detained include Joaquin P. Roces, publisher of the Manila Times, an independent English language daily with a morning circulation of 186,- 147, and Maxime Soliven, a columnist for the Times, who has been one of the President's principal critics; Rosalinda Galang, a Times reporter; Luis Mauricie, editor of Graphic, an English-language weekly magazine; and Teodore Locsin Sr., editor of Philippines Free Press.

Also taken into custody was Veronica Yuyitung, wife of Rizal Yuyitung, editor of the Chinese Commercial News, who was deported last year to Taiwan. 

Arrests were continuing and a new list released on Tuesday showed that Amando Doronilla, editor of the Manila Chronicle, and one of the paper's columnists, Ernesto Granada had been detained in the sweep against persons said to be subversives by the government's information secretary Francisco Tatad. 

On Tuesday (September 26), the government said it was allowing the Philippines Herald, an English-language na-tional daily, to resume publication. Up to that point, Marcos has permitted the continued operation of the Philippines Daily Express; one television network station; the Government-owned Voice of the Philippines radio station; and the Far East Broadcasting Company, a Philippine-owned radio station serving both domestic and overseas listeners. 

Publication of the remaining seven English-language and three vernacular dailies remain suspended. 

In an interview with newsmen, Marcos charged that the press and radio have been infiltrated by Communist propagandists and have been guilty of distortions, tendentious reporting, speculation and criticism that have damaged society and weakened resistance to Communism. 

Under the regulations, news media are ordered "to print and broadcast accurate, objective, straight news reports of positive national value consistent with the efforts of the government to meet the dangers and threat that occasioned the proclamation of martial law and the efforts to achieve a new society as set forth by the president." 

Coming under the ban are materials that "tend to incite or otherwise inflame people or individuals against the government" and items that "downgrade or jeopardize" the military of law authorities or glorify or sensationalize crime.

The guidelines also state: "Informative foreign news items may be printed or broadcast by the local media but in no case must any foreign news be printed or broadcast which puts it in the same cate-gory as any of the prohibited materials ennumerated above. Similarly, no news material or opinions emanating from abroad may be disseminated by any wire agency through any Philippines recipient which is of the same type as any of the prohibited materials enumerated above 

"The same rules apply to foreign correspondents whether based in the Philippines or not. No foreign dispatch will be filed from the Philippines which impugns, discredits, questions or criticizes any positive effort of the government, the government itself or any of its duly constituted authorities. Nor will any dispatch be filed which speaks unfairly or inaccurately of the Philippines or Filipinos ..." 

The regulations also censor all photographs.

The guidelines state that photographers can only take pictures of "normal city life and of interviews with authorized officials and offices." 

Forbidden are photographs of military installations and Malacanang, the pres-idential palace. Pictures of airports and seaports also are banned. 

News dispatches coming into the Philippines from abroad are being censored along with news stories written by Filipinos for home consumption or by foreign correspondents to be sent to other countries. 

According to indirect word received by the Associated Press in New York from Manila, even society news has been banned from Filipino newspapers and broadcast media. 

Dispatches that question or criticize any effort of the government are banned. Editorials and commentary are prohibited along with gossip columns. 

Night editor George Reyes at the Associated Press said he received the first tip at 1:25 a.m. Saturday from an anonymous woman caller that martial law—rumored for months but not expected—had been declared in the Philippines. Minutes later, office messenger Leonardo Mangulabnan and operator Pepito Mallare summoned Reyes to the office window. The three AP staffers saw troops gathered at the front door of the Manila Times building in which the AP office is located. 

Within minutes, a combat-clad national policeman walked into the AP office and told Reyes "please vacate the office and go home." Reyes protested. "What is this, has martial law been declared?" The trooper just smiled and replied: "Well, something like that, we are just following orders. You may go now, please." 

Office secretary Coring Campos, news editor Gil Santos and Lynn Newland quickly gathered at Santos Home, which served as a temporary office, where they were joined by former Manila bureau chief John Nance. The bureau then moved to the ITT building in downtown Manila, but was asked to leave several hours later for "security reasons." The bureau then moved hack to Santos' house, where operations continued until permission to reenter the office was received 30 hours later. The Times building remains off limits to all but AP staffers, who daily show their identity cards to Marine guards outside the building. 

Staffers quickly learned to ignore this routine and the daily visits of rifle-carrying national policemen. Other results of the newly imposed martial law are not as easily ignored, however, particularly censorship and a midnight to 4 a.m. cur-few. Censorship Filipino style is chaotic at best. "guidelines" detailing what can and cannot be written and photographed are vague. A typical regulation reads: "No foreign dispatch will be filed from the Philippines which impugns, discredits, questions or criticizes any positive effort of the government . . . nor will any dispatch be filed which speaks unfairly or inaccurately of the Philippines or Filipinos." If all else fails, the censors can rely on the following regulation: "These rules may be amended or modified without prior notice." 

That is an article from Editor and Publisher which is an industry magazine about the media published a week after Ferdinand Marcos had declared martial law. Immediately upon making the declaration the media was shut down and many newspaper men were imprisoned. Among them was  Eugenio Lopez Jr.

Editor and Publisher 1975-01-25: Vol 108 Iss 4

The Philippines, which once boasted of having a completely free press and observance of civil liberties, has suffered a complete about-face under the dictatorial regime of President Marcos. Freedom of the press has disappeared and once-free newspapers have been confiscated or closed.

The most celebrated case is that of Eugenio Lopez, Jr. and Sergio Osmona who were imprisoned two years ago for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate the president. They were never formally charged and only because of a hunger strike started last October has their case become prominent. 

The press and information officer of the Philippine Consulate in New York stated last Christmas that Lopez and Osmona were among 1.076 political detainees re-leased at that time by the government "under the president's policy of national reconciliation, solidarity and brotherhood announced last Dec. 11, 1974."

The fact of the matter is that the two men have not been released, are under heavy military guard in a military hospital. and as yet have not been charged with any crime. 

It is perhaps not well known that the Lopez family, once wealthy, gave up their properties in the Philippines for the safety and release of members of the family. Eugenio Lopez. Sr., now living in San Francisco gave this brief version in an interview recently with the Philippines News. published in that city: 

"When President Marcos declared Martial Law in September 1972, all of our family's major business enterprises were either taken over or ordered closed by the Philippine government. 

"The Manila Electric Company, (MECO) which supplies electricity to Manila and suburban areas continued to operate un-der the 'supervision' of appointed military personnel. The ABS-CBN corporation, the largest 'a-oadcasting company in the Philippines owning and operating 6 television stations and 21 radio stations was ordered to close all of its facilities. The Manila Chronicle daily newspaper, one of the most widely read newspapers in the country was also ordered closed. 

"The total assets of these three companies are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

"In the course of the past two years, all these corporations have fallen into the hands of private individuals, individuals who are known to be close associates of Mr. and Mrs. Marcos and who have been branded by more knowledgeable persons as their 'front men', that is to say, individuals who are holding in their names properties on behalf of the Marcos family. 

"Most of the uninformed public assumed that 'the wealthy Lopez family sold their multimillion dollar business enterprises to the Philippine Government in order to liquidate their assets and get their cash out of the Philippines.' This impression was strengthened by the publicity given by the Philippine government to the 'sale' of the Manila Electric Company. 

"It is time now for the public to learn the truth. The Lopez family's properties were not sold to the Philippine government; in fact they have not been sold to anyone. Our properties were given to the Marcos family through its 'front men' in exchange for the release of my son and for the safety of our family. Some of our properties are now owned and/or oper-ated by the 'front men' through some `artificial agreements' and some of them have been taken over without any type of agreement, legal or illegal." 

The Lopez family has maintained its silence for two years in exchange for the life and freedom of Lopez, Jr., and the safety of other members of the family, according to Lopez, Sr. He has just recently started to speak out and tell the family's side of the dispute. 

He believes that only "pressure from the free world" can bring justice back to the Philippines, and we have to agree.

So, did this happen? Did the Lopez family give their properties to Marcos in order to free his son? Did Marcos shut down ABS-CBN as well as the Manila Chronicle? Ask anyone who voted for Bongbong Marcos and they might say no. They might say the above news reports are all lies. But are they? Can they really prove that the above news stories are all lies? 

Of course they cannot prove this never happened because it did happen. And it could happen again. That's why the truth about the Marcos dictatorship should never be forgotten. 

Journalist Arrested for Cyber-libel While Jogging Showcases Bad Media and PNP Practices

Without a doubt Philippine media is a crazy world. Many times it is a violent world for journalists who stoke the ire of a local politician. President Duterte even condoned such violence saying it was deserved. Maybe one of the worst aspects of being a Philippine journalist is the libel law which makes such an offense not civil but criminal. That means jail time for those convicted of reporting something someone did not like. Let's take a look at one recent case and see how it was reported in the national media. 

First up is the PNA which is the government's propaganda outlet. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1182384

The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced Sunday it has arrested a journalist who was issued six warrants during an operation in Pasay City.

PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said Oswaldo Carbonell alias Waldy Carbonell, 79, who was also a political commentator, was nabbed after being served the warrant of arrest by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at the parking lot of a mall around 9:30 a.m.

Citing a report, Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, CIDG director, said Carbonell was arrested on orders of Presiding Judge Bonhoefer Vergara Bernardez of the First Judicial Region, Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

The newsman was issued six separate warrants of arrest for Violation of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) dated Oct. 21, 2021 with PHP72,000 bail recommended for each case.

Upon arrest, Carbonell was apprised of his constitutional rights and the nature of his offense and was immediately brought to the CIDG Northern District Field Unit office for documentation and booking procedure.

The CIDG will duly inform the court of the successful implementation of the warrant of arrest, Azurin said.

“The PNP through Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG), as the prime mover in investigating cybercrimes, has been dealing with cases involving online fraud, human trafficking, theft, hacking, cyberstalking, and other unlawful acts. (Your police force will ensure that anyone who violates the law is held accountable and will face the appropriate penalty imposed by the court)," the PNP chief said in a statement.

Carbonell had previously said that the cyber libel complaints were filed against him by Piddig, Ilocos Norte Mayor Eduardo Guillen. No other details were available on the charges

In this version of the story Oswaldo Carbonell was arrested by the PNP for six cyber libel complaints which were filed by Piddig, Ilocos Norte Mayor Eduardo Guillen. No details on the nature of the charges are available. That is quite strange because in Philstar's version of this story we get a lot more details about the charges. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/08/29/2205839/journalist-arrested-cybercrime-cases-filed-ilocos-mayor

Oswaldo Carbonell, also a political commentator, was arrested by a team from the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at a mall in Pasay City.

He was arrested based on six separate arrest warrants in violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 issued by Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Regional Trial Court Branch15 under Presiding Judge Bonhoefer Vergara dated Oct. 21, 2021.

Bail is set at P72,000 per case.

Piddig, Ilocos Norte Mayor Eduardo Guillen filed the cases against the 79-year-old Carbonell after he reported the local official’s graft case on his YouTube page.

In a YouTube video last month, Carbonell said the mayor filed the charges because he did not get his side before publishing the videos.

“The mayor charged me for not getting his side on his graft case and accused me of not being fair,” he said in Filipino in a video uploaded in December.

“But I know my rights. It is his right to that I ask him, but it is also my right not to ask him because I know his case,” he added in the video.

In this article we are told that the libel charges filed against Oswaldo Carbonell are because of allegations he made that the mayor had a graft case and he did not get the mayor's side before publishing his vidoes.  What the exact nature of those graft charges against the former mayor might be is not clear and a Google search turns up nothing. 

Why wasn't the PNA able to report on this level of detail about the charges against Carbonell? But this is not all. We get more details about the arrest in the Daily Tribune.

https://tribune.net.ph/2022/08/29/journalist-nabbed-while-jogging/

Broadcaster Waldy Carbonnel was arrested Sunday morning while jogging along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City to face six counts of cyber libel filed against him in Ilocos Norte.

Bail was set for the 79-year-old Carbonnel at P72,000 for each of the six counts of the complaint filed before Judge Bonhoeffer Bernardez of the Laoag City Regional Trial Court Branch 15.

The journalist was arrested by undercover personnel of the Caloocan City police criminal investigation and detection group at about 9:30 a.m. near a shopping mall.

On 30 October last year, Carbonnel said in a Youtube post that Piddig, Ilocos Norte Mayor Eduardo Guillen filed the cyber libel case against him.

In that posted video, Carbonnel accused the Piddig government official of involvement in graft and corruption, as well as some radio commentators of having been paid to malign him.

This version tells us everything we need to know. Carobnell was arrested while jogging, the charges have to do with him accusing the former mayor of graft, and these charges were filed last year by at least October 30th. Now, why couldn't the other news sites get all this information in one story? Why does the PNA give us the least information? That is the government's propaganda arm and should be the most informative and trustful but we see here that it is actually the least informative and least trustworthy. 

Aside from all that why did almost a whole year pass between filing charges and an arrest? Why did he PNP think it needful to arrest Carbonell while he was out for a jog? They could and should have arrested him at his residence which just so happens to be the radio station where he works. 

The radioman whose real name is Oswaldo Carbonell was ordered arrested by Judge Bonhoefer Bernardez of the Laoag City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Ilocos Norte on October 21, 2021.

The Ilocos Norte judge recommended a P72,000 bail for each case filed against Carbonell who stays at the DWBL station located at the Paragon Plaza building in EDSA corner Reliance Street in Mandaluyong City.

https://journalnews.com.ph/cidg-ncrfu-agents-nab-broadcaster-for-cyber-libel/

Look at that. In this final article we learn that the warrant was filed on October 21, 2021. So, why did the PNP wait almost a whole year before executing it and then execute in such a strange fashion with undercover cops while Carbonell was out for a jog! That would have been quite dangerous if Carbonell had decided to not cooperate. Why take that risk?

Everything about this incident is suspect. From the actions of the PNP to the media coverage it is all awful. Now, I know there are those out there who talk about media reform but they don't mean actual reform like getting the media to report all the facts. No, they mean the media must say nice things about the Marcos family and stop truthfully reporting on their crimes and lies. In fact, no negative news should be reported at all whatsoever because the Philippines is safe and crime free and a total paradise thanks to Duterte and Marcos. What a lot of balderdash that is!

Here is a case where the faults of the Philippine media are on full display, especially the government-run PNA. Will anyone speak out? Doubtful!

The Media's Role In Nation Building?

If you have been paying attention for the past six years you would know that the media has been relentlessly attacked by politicians and pundits. From Rigoberto Tiglao, himself a media personality, to President Duterte the media and journalists have been excoriated as being nothing more than a bunch of liars. Duterte himself even condoned the killing of journalists saying they deserved it. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/788543/duterte-endorses-killing-corrupt-journalists

“Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” Duterte said when asked how he would address the problem of media killings in the Philippines after a reporter was shot dead in Manila last week.

“Most of those killed, to be frank, have done something. You won’t be killed if you don’t do anything wrong,” Duterte said, adding that many journalists in the Philippines were corrupt. 

From the closure of ABS-CBN to the harassment faced by Rappler the media has come under fire lately and journalists turn up dead with alarming regularity.  That makes this recent pronouncement by the Speaker of the House, who is a nephew of Imelda Marcos and a cousin of the President, all the more puzzling. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1181065

House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday highlighted the role of media as the fourth estate of Philippine democracy tasked to inform and educate the public and check up on the three branches of government.

During his meeting with the United Print and Multimedia Group (UPMG) officials in his office, Romualdez said the government should consider media as a partner in nation-building instead of shunning them away.

“From day one in government, I have considered the Philippine media not as an adversary but a partner in nation-building,” Romualdez said. “Some say we in government should be wary of journalists as the media usually focus on the negatives rather than report the positive. They say, good news don’t make headlines. My experience with Filipino journalists debunks this myth."

Romualdez said he has met a number of journalists who are decent and responsible members of the profession.

“They are nosy, yes, but they are just doing their job. And they are helping us do our job, too. With their help, we galvanize popular support for measures that are needed to uplift the living condition of our people,” he said.

He said while he had been at the receiving end of negative media reports, it serves as an opportunity to explain his side to the public and expound on the issues involved.

"Media reports - be it positive or negative - give us, government officials, relevant and timely feedback from the public with regard to our official acts. They also provide us with a platform on issues that need discussed with a bigger public,” he said.

He urged the members of the media to continue giving "valuable space" in their publications for the government's discussions with the public regarding its policies, programs, and goals.

“We need your help in getting across this administration’s message to a larger audience. Our message: unity for a bigger purpose. Our vision: a Filipino nation with its people living comfortably and secured in their environment,” he said.

“The media industry is called the Fourth Estate for a purpose. It is incumbent upon you to provide public service like what we do in the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The task ahead may be full of challenges, but there is nothing we cannot achieve in unity with our people,” Romualdez said.

That any politician would ever consider the media to the an enemy speaks volumes. However I do not believe he is talking about independent media here. He mentions that they need help "getting across this administration's message." What does the mean exactly?  Press Secretary Trixie Cruz tells us explicitly. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1180980

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) is prioritizing the granting of interviews to government media under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said this is her agency’s “standout policy” since Marcos assumed office.

“Under the single messaging policy for President and, we also give a premium to government media first,” she said in an interview over state-run Radyo Pilipinas on Wednesday.

Cruz-Angeles said private media will also be accommodated, but state media will be given "a premium first."

“Although napagbigyan naman natin iyong iba (we grant interviews to other media outlets), there are some stations that we allowed interviews, we usually give a premium first to our government station” she added.

If you remember during the campaign season Bongbong Marcos shunned the media.  He gave no interviews and did not attend any debates.  He did give interviews with SMNI which is run by Apollo Quiboloy who thinks he is Jesus Christ but he shunned everyone else. As President he will continue to do the same. 

This is called propaganda. Bongbong knows that as President and as his father's son he will be under a lot of scrutiny and what we see here is an unwillingness to be forthright with the people. Instead of dealing with traditional media he will give preference to the government's media outlets. So, what it means for the media to be partners in nation building according to this cousin Martin Romuladez is that the people have to listen to and believe state run propaganda. Anything contrary to that will be heresy.

Steven Pabalinas Politcal Cartoonist for The Manila Times

Steven Pabalinas is a political cartoonist employed by The Manila Times. Encyclopedia Britannica has this to say about political cartoons:

A political cartoon is also an artistic vehicle characterized by both metaphorical and satirical language. It may point out the contexts, problems, and discrepancies of a political situation. Although a drawing reflects a cartoonist’s judgment and point of view and the visual commentary often exaggerates circumstances, responsible editorial standards do not allow the artist to alter facts.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-cartoon

In this article I will be looking at a few drawings and demonstrate that far from being political cartoons the work of Steven Pabalinas is partisan propaganda that alters facts and does not give an honest look at the political situation in the Philippines. In fact most of his political cartoons of late are nothing more than anti-Leni Robredo doodles. These cartoons can all be found on Steven Pabalinas' Facebook page. I will also be translating his Tagalog comments to English so everyone can read along.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-cartoon

In this cartoon Leni says, "The Philippines, like Ukraine, must rely on strong alliances, like America and the EU, to stand against a bigger enemy." All the while America, a staunch Philippine ally, is refusing to help Ukraine against Russia. The message seems to be that the Philippines cannot rely on the USA. Everything about this wrong. The USA is indeed doing much for Ukraine in the form of sending weapons and imposing sanctions against Russia. Some US lawmakers even want to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine which would be a foolish declaration of war against Russia. I could not find Leni making this exact quote but if she did she is not alone in her sentiments. The Philippines does need strong alliances to stand against foreign threats.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/20/next-president-must-prioritize-strong-alliances-amid-chinas-maritime-claims-say-experts/

The strongest threat the Philippines faces is China. They continue to encroach on Philippine territory and build military bases in the West Philippine Sea.

Further complicating the message in this cartoon is the following post from Steven's Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158043448436841&set=pb.661241840.-2207520000..&type=3

Russia donated weapons to the Philippines during the siege of Marawi

Yes, Russia donated weapons to the Philippines which arrived towards the end of the siege in September 2017. So what? It seems Steven is saying that the Philippines should strengthen their alliance with Russia. But why? Because they donated weapons at the ned of the siege? The USA was there from the beginning.

Does Steven not know that China is allied with Russia? That if war broke out in this region, say an invasion of Taiwan or a major escalation in the WPS, Russia would side with China? Maybe he thinks the nation should continue the Duterte policy of appeasement?

Just in this one cartoon we can see that Steven Pabalinas is not representing reality factually. It is not a funny or insightful cartoon whatsoever. It is nonsensical garbage.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158056961081841&set=pb.661241840.-2207520000..&type=3

Real talk lang ba……

Real talk Leni will welcome drug lords with open arms. More like trash talk. This is close to libel. It is also exclusive to his Facebook page and not a Manila Times cartoon. Why is it that people think only Duterte can defeat the drug lords? Did everyone forget that the PNP, NBI, PDEA, are all tasked with fighting the drug problem? The job falls squarely on their shoulders. Of course when those who are supposed to be fighting the drug war are so incompetent and/or criminal what can one expect? 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158055512746841&set=pb.661241840.-2207520000..&type=3

Nothing. I'll just share again the behavior of Leni and the wokes during the height of covid. Coz i never forget.

Look at this. More distortion of the truth. This cartoon is dated 4/26/20. Why was anyone calling for Duterte's ouster in April 2020? Because he issued shoot-to-kill orders of quarantine violators!

https://interaksyon.philstar.com/politics-issues/2020/04/02/165579/shoot-them-dead-duterte-says-wont-tolerate-lockdown-violators/

Does Steven Pabalinas have any biting satirical cartoons about the way the Duterte administration bungled their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Doubtful. I rather doubt he would even consider that they messed up royally at every turn.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157966947421841&set=pb.661241840.-2207520000..&type=3

Tsk tsk. Looks like Monica Lewinsky Saga continues

What does this cartoon even mean?

Former cabinet members of Fidel V. Ramos are supporting Robredo. In response Steven draws a picture of Robredo sitting on a cigar being smoked by FVR and says "Looks like the Monica Lewinsky saga continues."  Huh?  What? For those who may not know US President Bill Clinton had an affair with a young intern named Monica Lewinsky back in the 90's. During one of their trysts in the Oval Office he stuck a cigar in Monica Lewinsky's hoo-hah and smoked it. What does that incident have to do with former FVR cabinet members endorsing Robredo? Nothing! This is a complete non-sequitir. Is he going for absurdist humor? There is no humor here. Maybe that's the joke?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158032393216841&set=pb.661241840.-2207520000..&type=3

This cartoon is incredible. The artist is completely out of touch with reality. The gist of this cartoon is that the Marcoses have forgiven their enemies while the Church has not forgiven them at all. But wait a minute. The Marcos family continues to deny any wrong doing during martial law. In fact Imelda is a convicted criminal who is out on appeal but who should be rotting in prison. If the Marcoses deny they did anything wrong then why does the Church need to forgive them?  They wouldn't need to if such were the truth!

It seems Steven Pabalinas is confusing forgiving with forgetting. They are not the same. To forgive the Marcos family and move on is not to forget what they did and elect them back into power. Immediately upon their return from exile Imelda threw her hat in the ring for the 1992 elections. That is not the action of someone who is apologetic. That is the action of someone who full of hubris and pride and who only cares about holding to power. And let us never ever forget that Ferdinand Marcos was willing to finance a full-scale invasion so he could regain power!

https://apnews.com/article/1b750440d5a491184f5b2a91533774c1

″I am going to land there, I don’t care who opposes me,″ Marcos said, according to the tapes. ″And if they oppose the landing, that is when we start the battle.″ 

Never, ever forget that story. Marcos was so desperate for power that he was willing to spend millions to invade the nation. He did not care about the people. If this story does not red pill you about Ferdinand Marcos then you are a lost soul. 

This is just a sample of Steven Pabalinas' work. Much of it features Leni Robredo who is living rent free in this man's head. It is quite apparent that Steven is unaware of the real political situation in this nation. Therefore I want to end with my very own political cartoon. More like a collage since I cannot draw.

Get it!? Steven Pabalinas is an unoriginal hack who can't think deeply about the political situation in this nation but wants to blame all the bad things on the political opposition. When will people ever learn that the problem with the Philippines is not party, politics, or personality? The problem with the Philippines is Filipinos. They are what makes this nation what it is regardless of political stance. Change Filipinos and you can change the nation.