President Rodrigo Duterte (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The National Union of the Journalists of the Philippines scored President Rodrigo Duterte for his “incoherent and foulmouthed rant” after he attacked two Manila-based media.
“Your incoherent and foulmouthed rant against two of the country’s major media outfits – the Philippine Daily Inquirer and ABS-CBN – was not only unwarranted, it was absolutely twisted,” Dabet Panelo, NUJP secretary general, said in a statement Thursday.
The President launched a scathing attack anew against ABS-CBN and the Philippine Daily Inquirer because of their “slanted” reports.
In his speech delivered at Malacañang, Duterte branded the owners of both Manila-based media as “oligarchs and elites” and wealth seekers.
“Journalism is always antagonistic, but do not put too much slant,” Duterte said in his speech during the awarding ceremonies of the Go Negosyo Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs. “You smell bad. The Prietos, the Lopezes – you’re full of shit,” he said.
“O ngayon ang headline ng Inquirer, ‘The poor will be killed’. Sila ‘yung nag-una sabi nila ‘yung mga mahihirap namamatay. Then when you respond to a statement, they came up with the headline — p***** i**, basura talaga na ‘yan. Itong mga oligarchs pati itong mga elite, mga p***** i** ninyo, sabihin ko sa inyo. You try to… If you lose you… If your candidate loses, you become virulent rin,” a visibly irked Duterte said.
Then he shifted to single out ABS-CBN over its news article about his supposed hidden wealth.
“Now you… Noong election, Inquirer pati ABS-CBN, mukhang pera kayo eh. Talagang mukha ninyo pera. Why? You published a 211 million which were all garbage. If I have that money now and you are all influentials to find it out, if even by half of it, I will resign as President. If any of my grandchildren are involved into the slightest corruption, I will step down,” Duterte said.
But NUJP’s Panelo said that Duterte’s move to attack the media was “a brazen abuse” of his power as the President and “only shows how little, if any, appreciation you have of democracy and governance.”
“It is a mindset of the petty tyrant who mistakenly believes public office is an entitlement that allows you to flaunt the laws of the land that both grant you power and ensure the checks that prevent you from abusing that power,” Panelo added.
For its part, the Philippine Daily Inquirer issued a statement as it took exception to Duterte’s remarks of biased reporting.
“Since its founding in 1985, the Inquirer has upheld the highest standards of excellence in journalism. Even as we’ve courageously pursued the truth in our coverage, we’ve endeavored to get the administration’s side of any controversy,” Jose Ma. Nolasco, PDI’s executive editor, said in a statement.
He added: “The Inquirer’s wide readership and hundreds of awards, prizes and citations from prestigious organizations here and abroad attest to its adherence to accuracy, fairness and balance in its reporting.” (davaotoday.com)
