Fire incompetent PNA editors, Andanar told

MANILA, Philippines -  Enough of the blunders. 

For repeatedly putting President Duterte’s administration to shame, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar should show “incompetent editors” of the state-run Philippine News Agency the door. 

“Give them the boot,” Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone – a former journalist himself – advised the press secretary, saying PNA editors have “proven themselves unfit for the job of disseminating reliable news to the public.” 

“Communications Secretary Andanar should fire the editors responsible for the erroneous news posted by the PNA if only to serve notice that this pattern of embarrassment is not tolerated,” the administration lawmaker said. 

PNA, an agency under the PCOO, is the government’s web-based newswire service.

Andanar and the PNA management, according to Evardone, should “weed out incompetents.”  

“Bear in mind that PNA, being the government’s news website, should provide accurate information to the public. Whatever it posts reflects on the government,” Evardone, chairman of the House committee on banks and intermediaries, pointed out. 

PNA issued an erratum last Aug. 11 for using the logo of food company Dole Philippines, instead of the Department of Labor and Employment, for its story entitled “DOLE issues pay rules for 2018 holidays” that was posted on the same day.

The PNA management apologized for what it called “a careless act of the PNA editorial staff” with an assurance that steps have been taken to guard against similar mistakes in the future.

Evardone also cited two past incidents where PNA came under fire for posting China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency’s opinion piece against the arbitration ruling on the West Philippine Sea, which in effect favored the side of Beijing. 

Another was a PNA story titled “95 nations in 3rd UPR convinced no EJKs in Phl” where it used a Vietnam War photo, together with a story on the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City.