I HAVE
COVERED the political career of Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte since the first day he
stepped into the political arena as an appointed Vice Mayor of Davao City. For
us community journalists whose beat is City Hall, we get real close to whoever
sits as Mayor, his department heads and personal staff. We know them like the
back of our hands.
Talking of
department heads, they all come and go depending who sits there as Mayor and
this is true between Mayors Rodrigo and daughter Inday Sara. An exception to
this is Christopher Go for his engagement as personal assistant with the former
persists to date. This intimacy lasts because "Bong", which he
prefers to be called, is trustworthy and unquestionably loyal and he knows the
parameters of his duties and responsibilities.
Which
brings us to the issue of the frigate contract which online media Rappler wants
to stir into a storm in an apparent move to get back at President Duterte whom
they faulted as behind the Securities and Exchange Commission decision to shut
them off. What is actually a common denominator in these twin controversies is
that involved in the decision process were all officials of the Aquino
administration. The naval contract was a done deal before Duterte stepped into
Malacanang while four of the five SEC Commissioners who decided to close
Rappler were also appointees of Aquino.
Dragging
the name of Presidential Assistant (PAS) Bong Go to the frigate deal therefore
stinks of malice. It's journalistic witchcraft which the desperate writers of
Rappler have conjured. They thought that by training their guns on Bong Go they
will hurt Duterte. They virtually stonewalled the fact that even Vice Admiral
Ronald J. Mercado, the relieved Philippine Navy Chief, said that Bong had
nothing to do with the negotiation of the controversial deal which was
concluded during the previous administration. Any which way you look at it Bong
was drag into the tempest in the teacup because of their obstinate belief that
Duterte had a hand in the closure of Rappler. Far from it.
The role
of Bong Go had been defined and Pia Ranada, Rappler's writer, should know this.
As PAS, he too supervises the Presidential Management Staff, the primary
function of which is to received complaints sent to 8888 electronic window,
letters and personal gripes sent to the President's office. It is this office
that parcels out which complaint should be referred to the proper government
department and bureau. The complaint arising from the naval contract which was
sent to Malacanang and referred to the Defense Department was just one of the
many concerns sent to the DD as a matter of course. So why the fuss?
Pia writes
as if she is too scared of President Duterte like she wants to impress to the
public that the closure of Rappler is a threat to press freedom. Far from it.
Thousands of media outlets and journalists including Pia and Ressa enjoy their
liberties like no other. Suppression of freedom of expression? Theirs and those
of other media practitioners and pseudo-journalists who join them in the
pipsqueak rallies are the best argument to disprove their claim.
What Pia
could have done was to bring her case to the President personally. There is
absolutely no doubt that despite the flagellation they did the President, in
his personal capacity he will find means to help them by way of curing the
legal infirmities which Rappler is in deep shit. Pia should know this
personally for wasn't she the newbie journalist who candidate Duterte and his
"sidekick" Bong Go picked up from the canal where she fell while
covering the campaign event in Davao City? Duterte cancelled the rest of his
campaign sortie to personally bring the frail Pia to the hospital and did not
leave her until he was assured she is well and hale. But then that was then.
(Letters From Davao by Jun Ledesma)
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