A hypocritical newspaper

THE in its editorial last Saturday, January 2, called senatorial candidate Jiggy Manicad names: traitor, betrayer, double- dealer, Judas, quisling, sellout, defector, rat, snitch and talebearer.

All because Manicad, who used to be a reporter and news anchor of GMA 7, said during a television interview that the troubles that news website Rappler is confronting were “isolated” instances and could be traced to violations of the constitutional ban on foreign ownership of media.

C’mon, guys, Manicad was just expressing his opinion and he should be respected for that!

The which prides itself on its “balanced new and fearless views” slogan, is not a saint in upholding press freedom.

Well, that broadsheet a strong advocate of press freedom during the time of the late Letty Jimenez- Magsanoc, but has become just another so- so newspaper with Joey Nolasco as its executive editor and Raul Palabrica, a mediocre lawyer, as its legal counsel.

Palabrica, a nonentity as a journalist, is chairman of the paper’s editorial council.

It was Palabrica who ordered me suspended — when I was still its columnist — for one month because I criticized the

and its editors for being biased against President Digong.

My suspension stemmed from my remarks in my Oct. 17, 2017 “On Target” column that some editors were “deliberately or unwittingly being used by the CIA (US Central Intelligence Agency) to destabilize the Duterte administration.”

Despite a spirited defense made by associate editor and columnist John Nery, a member of the editorial council, that my opinion should be respected, the decision to suspend my column was made.

I tried to appeal my suspension in an exchange of text messages with Palabrica, to no avail.

The following is the exchange of communication between myself and lawyer on my suspension:

“Raul, I can’t wait until Monday to explain why I wrote that some editors could be involved in the destabilization effort. The operative words: ‘ are deliberately or unwittingly being used by the CIA.’ There are some reports that some media outlets are being used by the CIA to destabilize governments. Now, if you don’t know that you must have been born yesterday. I was

Tulfo:

expounding an opinion and you should never, ever question that. Columnists are opinion writers. Even if I had a source that some of our editors are involved in the destabilization plot why should I reveal ( his identity) to you? Please, please don’t question my opinion! As Voltaire said, ‘ I may not agree with what he says, but I will defend to the death his right to say it’.”

‘ If this is your reply to the memo, please email it as a formal reply. The proceedings of the Editorial Council are all recorded. I will forward your reply to the members of the Editorial Council so they can decide on whether or not your explanation is acceptable. The council is a collegial body and I am only one of four members.”

“Was the decision not to publish my columns in the

and ( sister publication, a tabloid) a decision of the Editorial Council, or yours alone? Seems like you’re running the whole show. Remember, you are only our legal counsel, not our boss.

“It was a decision of the Editorial Council.”

“Oh, I see! It took the Editorial Council that long to decide on my fate. The editors pointed to you as the one who ordered to withhold publication

Palabrica: Tulfo: Palabrica: Tulfo:

of my columns.”

“The editors you supposedly talked to do not know the decision process of the council. It consists of Joey Nolasco, Abel Ulanday and John Nery as members. Our meetings and decisions are minuted and we follow the majority rule. I cannot and do not act unilaterally. The members will not allow themselves to be dominated by one person.”

“I leave it to your discre-

Palabrica: Tulfo:

Why are you so onion-skinned? Long before you joined the

almost all the columnists ganged up on me on my stand on the Hubert Webb case. They implied that I was paid by the Webbs, but I took everything in stride. Can’t you take what you dish out? You just withheld publication of my column without telling me the reason. The problem with you, blokes, is that you think highly of yourself that when a subordinate fails to reply to your memo you consider it a challenge to your authority. Raul, just because you hold a position of authority you have power over me. You should remember that when you were still in law school I was already a columnist.”

P.S.: The deal between the Prietos and Ramon Ang to buy the

did not push through because of Palabrica.