Media group: Who gave bizman power to assail local media?
March 17, 2011
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — A journalist group in Pampanga questioned the authority of a businessman here for saying he wants to “cleanse” the local media through the P20-million libel case he filed against some of them.
In a statement, Ashley Jay Manabat, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Pampanga chapter, said businessman, Renato Romero, is entitled to his own opinion but his statements “need to put things into proper perspective.”
“We ask: by whose authority does Mr. Romero act to whip the local media to toe the line? As if threatening the media that had caught his ire with a multi-million libel suit was not enough, Mr. Romero now wants to embark on a supposed ‘crusade’ that will purge its ranks,” Manabat said.
In a separate interview, Romero, who chairs the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said his statements were products of his observation as a member of the business sector.
“Do I not have the authority to make observations around us, as part of the business sector?” Romero asked in a phone interview.
Romero said he is only worried about the media sector’s state.
“Some are not even practicing good journalism. They’re working for officials as their public relations (PR) man,” Romero said.
He said he wishes for the media to police their ranks so that it will not be destroyed by bad practices of some of its members.
Aside from questioning Romero’s authority, the NUJP statement also questioned his stand on the cutting of trees along MacArthur Highway and other issues.
“By what standard does Mr. Romero measure the legitimate working press? Those that tend to be sympathetic to his advocacy of destroying hundreds of trees are alright while those that write for the preservation of the environment are not,” Manabat said in the statement.
The NUJP statement also said Romero had embarked on a similar crusade to rid of the alleged “evils” in governance, aligning himself with the then candidacy of priest-turned-politician Eddie Panlilio against then gubernatorial candidates Mark Lapid and Lilia Pineda in 2007.
However, Romero abandoned his crusade and parted ways with Panlilio because of what public opinion said then that many of the former governor’s election supporters parted ways with him for his refusal to grant them favors, which they allegedly solicited.
“Not too long ago, Mr. Romero protested the naming of the Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (MACCII) as the winner of the best chamber of commerce in North Luzon by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI),” the statement said.
Last December 11, as the highlight of the Pampanga Day celebrations, the annual winners for the Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards (Moka) was announced.
Romero, a nominee in the field of business, failed to win.
Three days later, Sun.Star Pampanga wrote his protest on why not one businessman got an award.
“Mr. Romero assailed the Board of Judges, calling two of them ‘termites’, and even criticizing the Capitol for not recognizing the contribution of the business sector in the development of the province,” Manabat said in the statement.
After this statement, columnist Ceasar Lacson came up with a rejoinder to answer Romero’s statements.
The rejoinder titled, “Romero ululating”, was the root of the P20 million libel case filed by him against Lacson and other media practitioners.
“The local media, however imperfect, will always be on the vanguard in the fight for press freedom even as we understand that the likes of Mr. Romero have a right to state their own opinions since we live in a democratic society where the free flow of ideas and expressions are guaranteed,” the statement concluded.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/03/16/media-group-who-gave-bizman-power-assail-local-media-145220
Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.
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Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.
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Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
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Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay
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http://www.YatsWineCellars.com
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