Go wants impartial reporting from network

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go yesterday demanded impartiality from ABS-CBN, denouncing what he described as the black propaganda aired by the network against Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016 presidential race in which the former Davao mayor won.

Go was referring to the negative advertisement aired by the network against Duterte, which was paid for by former senator and then vice presidential candidate Antonio Trillanes IV.

ABS-CBN failed to air some of the advertisements that Duterte had paid for during the campaign period.

During the Senate public hearing on the network’s franchise yesterday, Go said that the grievances of Duterte against the network are valid, citing the Fair Elections Act which states: “All members of media, television, radio or print, shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis. They shall recognize the duty to air the other side and the duty to correct substantive errors promptly.”

“It is unfair to allow a negative ad (to air) a week before the election and then not approve legitimate ads for then presidential candidate Mayor Duterte. It says so in the Fair Elections Act,” Go said during his opening statement.

Enjoining ABS-CBN to rectify the issue, Go said “media networks are supposed to be neutral and impartial.”

“But if this is the case – if some media networks and some political elites and economic elites can get together and destroy the candidacy of one candidate – it is only right that the President fight the elitists and oligarchs now reigning in our country,” he added in a mix of English and Filipino.

Go also urged the network to stay true to their slogan of serving the Filipino nation.

“Didn’t you say, ‘in the service of the Filipino nation’? Same here, serbisyo sa Pilipino, so let’s put the Filipino’s interest first,” Go said. “My job as legislator is to vote according to conscience, and my conscience is with the Filipino people.”

Go added that the President wants nothing but balanced and fair reporting from the media: “Fair reporting: that is all the President wants. Ano lang po ang totoo (What is the truth). Nothing more, nothing less.”

The senator then urged the network to reveal the truth regarding the unaired paid ads and the black propaganda against Duterte.

However, expressing concern for ABS-CBN employees who could lose their jobs over the non-renewal of the network’s franchise, Go also said that he would still appeal to the President to reconsider his position.