Reporters’ exchange on Vidal, NTC
ON MY way home in the evening of Friday the 13th, I heard dyCM’s Oscar Pasaporte passionately (an understatement) discussing Ricardo Cardinal Vidal’s supposed endorsement of the National Transformation Council’s (NTC) demand for President Aquino to resign. Oh no, I told myself, not again. After what happened in October last year and considering his age, this prince of the Catholic Church surely has no more appetite for controversy.
That same evening, a friend e-mailed me the thread of a Facebook conversation among Cebu’s young and idealistic reporters. The subject was the same NTC meeting earlier in the day. The Freeman’s Jessa Agua, who started the thread, was aghast that some people had the gall to attempt to take them for a ride.
“No to scheming non-Cebuano sources,” Jessa, a University of the Philippines journalism graduate, wrote. “While we admit that the industry is not perfect, please note that most of us do not accept spoon-fed lies and beating-around-the bush discussions.”
The “post” immediately drew comments from members of the local media. Here is how the conversation more or less went:
Le Antojado (dyLA reporter): Another note: Hindi kami tanga!
Jessa: As if mailad ta sa linyang “Cebu media questions are intelligent, challenging and hard to answer.”
Le: Because wa man gud silay klaro. Tuyok-tuyok ang tubag.
Joworski Alipon (ABS-CBN): Parang familiar (Jawo must be covering a cer- tain beat).
Justin Kintanar Vestil ( Sun.Star Cebu): May nalang wala diay ko didto dai. Makapangasaba unta ko ug pari. Jessa: Mas makalagot ang di pari, dong. Joworski: Na- master na gud namo ang pag- paraphrase.
Le: Bilib ko ni Sir Alan Pacional Domingo lahat na lang ng style of questioning ginawa na para lang makuha ang sakto ug mismong tubag, wa gyud tawon. Usa ray gipangutana – tanan motubag. Mura pa gyud sila masuko tanto’g balikbalik sa question.”
Kenshin Gitgano ( Sun.Star Cebu): Ending labad. King Anthony Perez (TV5): Asa ni? Alan Pacional Domingo (GMA): Daghan pa sila paliko-liko nga manawagan ug pagpakanaug sa gahum sa panot gov’t pero moingon pud nga dili mahitabo kay gahi ug ulo ang naglingkod sa pwesto… kong pwede kita nalang tubag sa atong mga pangutana sama niini, aron matuman ang ilang tinguha gigamit nila ang simbahan aron maoy makakabig sa katawhan nga mosuporta sa ilang panawagan.
Nakasabot ko nganong wala na litoka og balik ni cardinal ang iyang gibasa bisan kapila nato gipangayo aron mahatagan ta og katin-awan kay siya mismo dili seguro kombinsido, usa pa ang dali nga pag- revise sa script nga gibasa ni cardinal sa original, sa akong pagtuo dunay mga nakasulat didto nga wala niya mauyoni. Kong nakahigayon lang unta ta pagsolo ni cardi siguro, matubag gyud and atong gipangayo nga katin-awan. Libog ug lubog! Reyn Nikko Sereno (GMA): Kinsa ni? Jessa: I kept a copy of the supposed statement which is different from the one read.
Cel Rosales Amores (GMA): Mao ni silang Belgica, Tatad et al nga presscon, Jess? Naay mga text karon dire saying Cardinal Vidal, bishops and archbishops call on Pinoy to step down.
Cel: So unsa gyud ilahang message? For PNoy to step down?
Jessa: NTC did. The Cardinal read a statement citing the calls. But no categorical direct call from the prelate. Palma hurriedly left sad without granting an interview.
Bernadette Parco (GMA): “I saw that moro moro before… it was also a time that was interesting sa political arena.
Jessa: God bless them and their shady intentions.
(Tomorrow: What really happened? Why are the other bishops deafeningly Silent?)