MPC umalma sa banat ng Palasyo sa media

UMALMA ang Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) sa bintang ng Palasyo na mali ang pagbabalita sa pahayag ni Pa-ngulong Rodrigo Duterte kaugnay sa martial law.

Sa pahayag, sinabi ng MPC, ang ginawa ng media sa talumpati ni Duterte hinggil sa martial law noong nakalipas na Sabado sa Davao City ay “paraphrase” o isalin ang ilan sa mga linya niya.

“We take exception to the statement of Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar accusing the media of ‘misreporting’ President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement about Martial Law. A review of the president’s speech last Saturday in Davao City would reveal that the media merely paraphrased or translated some of his lines,” anang MPC.

Ang mga linya ni Duterte na tinukoy ng MPC ay “You know I have to protect the Filipino people. It’s my duty. I tell you now, if I have to declare Martial Law, I will declare it. Not about invasion, insurrection, not about danger. I will declare Martial Law to preserve my nation, period.”

“Wala akong pakialam diyan sa Supreme Court or — because the thing, the right to preserve one’s life and my nation, my country transcends everything else even the limitation. Kung gusto ko at it will deteriorate into something really virulent, I will declare Martial Law if I wanted to. Walang makapigil sa akin.”

“They say, ‘Why are you declaring Martial Law?’ ‘Because I have to preserve the Filipino people and the youth of this land.’ That’s why I said, ‘Do not go into that thing because I will kill you.’ That’s what I said in Davao, ‘e ‘di namatay na talaga. Anak ka ng…Sinabi ko sa ‘yo, do not tinker with this, it’s a very dangerous thing.”

Binigyan diin ng MPC na walang obligasyon ang media na bigyan kasiyahan ang sources ng balita dahil ang katapatan ng mamamahayag ay sa mamamayan, ang mga maaapektohan ng mga aksiyon ng mga tao na mas makapangyarihan sa kanila.

“The media has no obligation to please or satisfy sources because its loyalty is to the citizens, those who will be affected by the actions of people who are far more powerful than them,” paha-yag ng MPC.

Hinimok ng MPC si Andanar at kanyang mga opisyal na basahin ang kabuuan ng mga napalathala, naiereng balita, hindi lang ang mga titulo nito upang mas maunawaan ang coverage ng media sa Pangulo.

“We encourage the good secretary and his officials to read the entire news stories, not just the heads or titles to get a better picture of the media’s coverage of the president,” sabi ng MPC.

Nakababahala ang pagkahilig ng mga opis-yal ng administrasyong Duterte na sisihin ang media tuwing may kontrobersiyal na pahayag ang Pangulo.

Dapat nang matigil ang ganitong bisyo nila dahil walang maiaambag sa pagtaas ng antas ng diskurso sa publiko.

“We are disturbed by the propensity of the officials of this administration to blame the media whenever the inflammatory statements of the president stir controversy or draw flak. This trend should stop as it would not contribute to the elevation of the level of public discourse.”

Umaasa ang MPC na ang naturang pag-uugali ay hindi pagtatangka u-pang siraan ang media, na gumaganap ng mahalagang papel upang mapanatiling masigla ang demokrasya at tiyakin na ang mga nasa kapangyarihan ay wasto ang ginagawa.

“We hope that such behavior is not an attempt to discredit or undermine the media, which plays a crucial role in keeping our democracy healthy and checking those in power, and supplant them with information sources that would push for an agenda that is less than noble than the truth.”

Sinabi ni Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo na ang pahayag ng Pangulo hinggil sa batas militar ay isang “ dramatic and graphic presentation of an exercise of a presidential power and duty imposed on him by the Constitution.”

“It is not a threat or an advance announcement of an imminent exercise of an emergency power, rather it is a warning to those who are bent on destroying the fabric of society that President Duterte will not watch in utter helplessness in its destruction. It is also an assurance to the people that he will not equi-vocate in using a constitutional power to preserve the integrity and survival of the nation,” aniya.

(ROSE NOVENARIO)