BACOLOD CITY — I was swamped with questions on Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella’s bill in Congress proposing “penalties for the media executives and owners who refuse ‘equal treatment’ of a news subject’s reply.”

But, I believe that media people know their business and are fair, contrary to the belief of those who wish to dictate upon them. And after all the decision to choose which newspaper to read, TV station to watch or radio station to listen to lies with the public. Democracy provides a free marketplace of ideas.

* * *

If a media outlet is biased or unfair, the readers or listeners will know it and decide. If media or media people are bought by politicians, the public will know. If media trembles in a corner in fear of the powerful, the public will know it, too.

The Manila media, headed by board chair Vergel Santos of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, said the measure violates the freedom of the press and of free expression.

Santos said, he will wait for the approval of the measure before challenging it in court. I agree.

For a media man like me, it makes life more interesting and challenging.

If the bill is passed, I believe the courts will declare it unconstitutional.

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Here is another problem. In the election of 2010, when you criticize Monico on air, he can claim equal time to reply “for free.”And if he is not given that equal time then one can go to jail or suffer a P200,000 penalty.

Congressman Puentevella is really wise. What will stop him from asking his friends in media to attack him so that he will get equal space or equal time for free?

What media people here are wondering about is, if Puentevella had really been written or broadcast about wrongly or unfairly, why has he not resorted to the law and filed libel charges against them? Why is he making journalists here feel that what he really wants to do is to gag those who publish or air legitimate news about him?

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Meanwhile, I congratulate our Boys and Girls officials of Bacolod, elected by their peers who held office for a week. This is the project of the Rotary Club of Bacolod for the last 41 years.

What impressed me was that they spoke fluent English at our club meeting Thursday. Some years before I was so disappointed when some of these boys and girls officials could not speak English and spoke Ilonggo.

I am happy, too, that in the last three years, the mayor elected came from the public schools. Before they were no match to those from private schools. I am not against Ilonggo which we must also promote.

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Before going to our Rotary Club meeting, I watched Peque Gallaga’s play at La Salle, an Ilonggo translation of Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Goldensterm Are Dead.”

We have been encouraging Peque to direct more plays in Ilonggo.

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I want to greet Mrs. Nena de Leon on her birthday today. Her beauty has never faded all these years that she looks sometimes younger than her own daughters.

Nena is the inspiration of Bredco and of Pavilion Hotel. I like her company from which I hone my very limited knowledge of Spanish. She speaks Spanish fluently.

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On October 8 and 9, the 9th Regional Marketing Conference will be held at the Santuario de La Salle sponsored by the Philippine Marketing Association of Bacolod and the University of Saint La Salle Graduate School.

Keynote speaker will be Ms. Emily Abrera, chairman of McCann Erickson Worldwide. Mrs. Josefa “Patching” Puentevella told me the other speakers are SRA Administrator Rafael Coscolluela and Chamber of Commerce Foundation President Melito Salazar.

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I know many of my friends in media will laugh at me for giving this issue the attention which many of them will say, is not deserve.

I believe because Manila media does not even give it much attention except some who said this cannot pass in Congress, but if it pass the courts will declare it unconstitutional.

Here is another problem. In the election of 2010, when you criticize Monico, he can only claim equal time for free. And if you do not give him that equal time then you can go to jail or suffer a P200,000 penalty.

Congressman Puentevella is really wise. What will stop him from asking some friends in media to attack so that he will be given equal space or equal time for free.

One Response to “That ‘right to reply’ bill”

• 1
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  October 5th, 2008 21:51

  What? Are your Congressmen going crazy? Not only the Philippines is notoriously known as the most corrupt country in Asia (may be the world) and now undemocratic country in Asia (no more free speech). How low can you go? May be you need to give another chance for “Peoples Power”. 2010 is 2 years too long to wait.

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