Unmollified Palace slams Inquirer for missing ‘not’

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PUBLISHED ON October 19, 2007 AT 2:54 PM

The Arroyo administration was not satisfied with the apology today by the Philippine Daily Inquirer over the erroneous story that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was present when those “cash gifts” were given out. In a statement today, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye castigated the paper for “sowing disinformation.” The apology notwithstanding, he said, the damage had been done.

Below is Bunye’s full statement:

We have noted the Philippine Daily Inquirer�s �deep regrets that it inadvertently reported in today’s (Oct.18) issue that Rep. Bienvenido Abante said President Macapagal-Arroyo was present during the distribution of cash handouts to politicians last Thursday. Abante had actually said the President was not present.

But for a single word: not, we can only guess that the report attributed to Congressman Abante would not have merited a six-column banner story. It would have been entirely out of character for PDI if it had come up with a banner story headlined: “GMA not present, says solon.”

UNFORTUNATELY, THE DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

We leave it up to PDI to ponder on how it missed that single all-important word — not — from the text of the banner story written by reporters Dona Pazzibugan, Christian V. Esguerra and Norman Bordadora.

We suppose that PDI editors must feel that its “deep regrets” over the unfortunate banner story is enough to recompense for the disinformation or misinformation its “shoot first, investigate later” treatment of the non-story created.

That particular PDI headline story came at a time when agit-prop operations by critics of the administration have reached new heights of nastiness and recklessness. Efforts are underway to sow discord, divide the nation and destroy the hard-earned advances that the economy continues to make.

All we ask of the media community is greater circumspection, or at the very least balance and fairness, in the reportage of news events, particularly those of national import.

People look up to media as a source of accurate information and enlightenment, not as a purveyor of disinformation and chaos.

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Unmollified Palace slams Inquirer for missing ‘not’

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