In the last few days, I had been getting news only from the ABS-CBN programs. I said “only” because I would usually hold the remote control and keep changing Channel 3 and GMA’s Channel 7 to view TV Patrol and Balitang Bisdak and turn the radio dials back and forth to listen to the morning shows of Bobby Nalzaro and Leo Lastimosa. Perhaps, my natural inclination of rooting for the underdog altered this habit. The cease and desist order recently issued by the National Telecommunications Commission against the acknowledged radio/television giant suddenly changed the broadcast terrain as to make ABS-CBN an underdog.
The listenership of Lastimosa must have been immensely reduced, thanks but no thanks to the NTC’s CDO. A huge portion of his radio audience does not have the technology to hear him from the digital platforms now used by dyAB. In my case, I have been tuned mostly to Arangkada these past few days.
Before proceeding, please allow me to settle an issue on the objectivity of broadcaster Lastimosa. If I did not know him personally, I would have concluded from his late commentaries that he is a political barker unleashed by the adversaries of Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella. But, not only are we fellow writers of The Freeman and would therefore meet as proverbial brothers-in-arms on matters related to this paper, we also break bread at the house of Dr. Felicitas “Fely” Manaloto, in somewhat family functions. Ate Fely, the eldest sister of my lady Carmen, was the head of the Cebu City Health Department years ago.
It was from the questions raised by Lastimosa that I heard disturbing bits of information on some matters related to the way the city is pushing for the use of a certain kind of rapid test kits. In several days already, he asked how come Dr Daisy Villa, the present City Health Department head (like Ate Fely, formerly) was not consulted before the city acquired the test kits. Lastimosa revealed that these kits are not registered with the FDA. These are, “colorum” in the graphic words of my fellow Freeman columnist. He would next ask for the brand of these kits, where these were bought from and how did the city pay. At the end of his line of questioning, he would query If someone made money out of this purchase. Heavy insinuations.
A friend told me that Mayor Labella was interviewed by broadcaster Bobby Nalzaro. “Good”, I said, because Nalzaro is the other media personality high in my respect chart. I could see my friend’s pout even as he opined that if Lastimosa appeared to be a friend of Labella’s political foes, Nalzaro’s apparent preference for the mayor would tend to counter balance enough to level the playing field. Anyway, my friend proceeded to tell me that, among other things, when asked for the brand of the test kits, the mayor could not answer. It was the same question Lastimosa raised.
The narration given me by my friend was hearsay. I had no way of validating it. But while in law, hearsay, generally, is not admissible in evidence, I would take the information that Labella had no idea of the brand of the rapid test kits reportedly paid by city funds as a lawyer’s way of projecting innocence. How could the mayor be involved in a perceived graft if he did not even know such a particular detail of the corrupt act? I rest my case.