Badge of Honor (Article from Mindaview)

Badge of Honor

            That’s the great honor and  the least  PNoy would be giving to the media upon official  receipt of IIRC when he decides acknowledging their participation in the botched August 23  hostage crisis. The better for him to make his stand as he’s about the give the report to China and  Hongkong shortchanging the Filipinos. The hostage  incident was police matter no less and that it would definitely not good to him implicating the media as scapegoat of their ineptness.

 It’s not healthy too  for the nation in view of recent development decriminalizing  libel and other harassment against the media serving  as the four estate of the nation. The positive on- line registration in favor of this development bares it all.  The more would he only be washing dirty linen in public if he’s concocting punitive action against journalists who covered the incident.  Better acknowledge the guilt and address it rectifying it to secure success should similar incident would happen in the future, a respected psychiatrist cleared.  That’s how to do it. And in fairness to him that’s exactly what he did when he took upon himself the blame stopping the buck never mind how unpopular that acknowledgement for as long as it came from the heart.

            RMN might have eaten up the crucial forty five minutes of the incident  that  otherwise would have been used in softening the heart of hostage taker Mendoza as drumbeated or that ABS-CBN and GMA-12 might have used the event as rating war that might have doomed hostage negotiations and that it provided them handsome dividends when they sold their rights to CNN showing that tragedy all throughout the globe etc. But what the heck of it when that’s precisely their job. Why they have not for instance contacted RMN and talked with Mendoza those crucial moment as that Big Man Maderazo emphasize when the line was after all open. Even broadcaster Rogas verbatim transcript published in national daily shows Mendoza open for negotiation until he throw away the letter of the Ombudsman hand carried by Vice Mayor Isko Moreno. Nothing personal there for Rogas as he was merely doing his job.

On the contrary, they should be recognized for their gallantry in doing their job when they put their lives in danger covering the incident. They have definitely done great job bringing the incident right into the homes through  radio and television of every Filipino making our day. We’ve been treated it anyway too similar incidents from festive EDSA to gory graphics of Maguindanao Massacre.

Bringing live the tragedy might not be good to the eyes but is there any other better footages and clippings substitute than the original and live as that? That the authorities  might have  bungled their job and thus might have caused discomfort losing their  face to the Chief Executive of the nation is immaterial. That was already rectified by the pronouncement of PNoy when he wholeheartedly acknowledged that he failed in that crucial First Test of his Presidency. So what? Axe the heads  of those who contributed that great fiasco if he may which he already did.But why sacrifice the media into the fray when again, they were merely doing their job. The important thing is moving on from that tragedy as it was obviously a mistrial. Let all shed the tears and grief over the incident as they are balm to our troubled nation but similarly rise up and deter similar mishap.

Perhaps the most important thing to do is to do for everybody is to review  if  there is any enough democratic space that provides breathing space for a Mendoza in all of us. The problem is  none. And if ever there is any, is   not enough breathing space that help you instead suffocated as  relevant  laws are rammed down on your throat. Think for instance of an anonymous letter Ombudsman are acknowledging to harass an employee or of the Civil Service Commission continuing the case against government employee when the accuser is already dead! Or of prosecutors throwing all those cases when the case is plain and  simple harassment..

 What if Mendoza’s allegation was true that he was offered P150,000.00 to clear name of the charges. That Commissioner begging the question was understandable as his pronouncement seemingly jibe with his facial expression.  But what if any of his cohorts might have offered the deal. Not farfetched given how fixers abound in all government agencies. Obviously, there are too many questions raised than answered on Mendoza’s case. May he rest in peace.