Solons not prosecutors; PR men not journalists

CRITIC'S CRITIC
Mentong Laurel
2/14-20/2011



This is the second salvo of our four times a week column critiquing critics from all branches of media, as well as from all other sectors of society. This means that anyone and everyone who criticizes may be criticized here, including yours truly, whose opinions you can lambast to your heart's delight, which my editor will certainly find space for.

Before we proceed, let me first acknowledge the great help we are getting from former Rep. Willy Villarama who sends us a daily dose of headlines and columns from at least nine major mainstream and smaller cross current newspapers, such as the PDI, PhilStar, Manila Bulletin, Tribune, Malaya, Manila Standard Today, Manila Times, BusinessWorld, and Business Mirror. Willy started collating these articles for his own analysis and named this compilation, "Ka Willing Willie Balita." Its Feb. 10 issue is what I'm using for this week's reviews.

Our first item is from the Manila Times column of "DR." Dante Ang entitled, "Legislators are not prosecutors." Many long periods had gone before solons got into extended inquisitions of resource persons ostensibly in aid of legislation but quite often in aid of re-election. However, I clearly don't see the present efforts of Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Antonio Trillanes IV as anything but a serious pursuit of a truth that has bothered the nation's consciousness ever since the Jan. 2001 power grab called Edsa Dos, where Ang figured significantly as a PR spin master for Gloria Arroyo and the Yellow forces. Angie Reyes was pivotal in the power grab, too; hence, the perceived special treatments he got, including the "pabaons" and the very rare series of four juicy Cabinet positions.

Can PR Men be Journalists?
Solons indeed should not be prosecutors, but reading "DR." Dante Ang's piece provokes the question: Can PR men be journalists? Many journalists moonlight as some sort of media adviser, consultant, ghost writer and/or special operator to various concerns, from business organizations to politicians. But is this ethical at all?

Moreover, despite "DR." Dante Ang's lofty title, from a Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila doctorate he obtained in 2005 (which by the way is now under scrutiny by Education authorities; a matter that's also being investigated by our colleague who goes by the alias, "Oliver"), dyed-in-the-wool, hard line journalists still flinch upon seeing the PR man heading a supposed journalism school that bears his name. But it seems Mr. Ang is in "good" company.

Another prominent member of his ilk, Teddy "Boy" Locsin, a superb writer whose journalistic wit is much sought after, acting as speechwriter to all the presidents who have sat in Malacanang since Edsa I, is also a class unto himself. Teflon seems to cover everything he does despite the apparent conflicts-of-interest. Why, Locsin has even parlayed his journalistic fame to a congressional seat.

Comfort the Discomfit
Not to be outdone, Dante Ang has parlayed his PR skils into multifarious business spin-offs, too, especially during the Arroyo era, when his influence helped him acquire the Manila Times, as well as a bank chairmanship and a Cabinet post on OFWs, among many other things.

Journalists are supposed to "discomfit the comfortable and comfort the discomfited." Yet Dante Ang has always been with the comfortably powerful; and maybe just like Angie Reyes, the time will soon come when the murky doings of other Arroyo factotums will come to light.

So can be a PR man rightfully claim to be a journalist? Only when he spends 90 percent of his time as a journalist--not as a PR man.

To Die with Honor
Meanwhile, the Feb. 10 edition of BusinessWorld had Solita Monsod's "Dying with Honor" on Angelo Reyes, likening Angie's gun-to-the-heart suicide to the Japanese warrior's ritual knife-to-the-gut self kill (plunging a short blade into the gut left to right) to show one's courage and sacrifice, not only to face death, but enduring the pain of disembowelment and slow death.

Frankly, the parallel was badly drawn. Angie Reyes' suicide was a cop-out that created a giant hole in the AFP corruption puzzle that was already being pieced together as the Senate hearings, as so many other wiser columnists such as Dick Pascual of The Philippine Star observed. But for Solita Monsod, Angie Reyes is a hero; whereas all I can see is that he cut the road of the investigations that would have led to the possible mastermind of it all--Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (a doll of which Monsod seems to keep in her closet).

As I mentioned, Federico "Dick" Pascual's "Postscript" had a more insightful and powerful take on the issue. Entitled, "Reyes lost his chance to prove his innocence," one section in his lengthy column reads: "BANTAY SALAKAY? Not everybody, however, would agree. While a few may welcome a momentary pause in the investigation, the bigger majority tired of government corruption would want to see through the cleansing process. I share the view that Reyes' death will not, and should not, put sudden closure to the revolting revelations of how millions had been routinely stolen by the Caesars of the armed service. It is ironic that the Armed Forces is enshrined in the Declaration of Principles in the Constitution (Article II, Section 3) as the "protector of the people and the State."

Witness the massive thievery at the top echelons! While we condole with the family of the general, we should not allow his death--or that of others who might follow his violent exit -- to cut short the investigations and the prosecution of the guilty parties.

Dreams should Never Die
I will end this week's Critic's Critics with the column of the Three Stooges of Gloria Arroyo in media today. Rigoberto "Bobbie" Tiglao's "Outlook" entitled "Our dreams will never die," referring to the slogan of the RAM (Reform the AFP Movement) of the Col. Greg Honasan and company in its early years against the Cory Aquino government, attempts to shift the focus of the Reyes suicide imbroglio away from the corruption under Gloria to what he insinuates is the desire of militarists to grab power. Coming from another media hatchet man of the Edsa Dos power grabber, this is certainly laughable.

In his own words, "In all these, the RAM and the Magdalo's dream--which could be our nightmare--certainly hasn't died: grabbing power." But isn't that precisely what his lord Madame and master Gloria Arroyo did in Jan. 2001, onto which he took a ride to gain his dreams of a Cabinet rank, an ambassadorship, and probably a sinecure today? It's a case of "the pot calling the kettle black."

(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; TNT with HTL, Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8, on "The Roots of RP's Systemic Corruption" with Mang Naro Lualhati, Atty. "Batas" Mauricio, and Butch Junia; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)