The Valencia compromise
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September 29, 2003
I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it.--Voltaire
SOME people in the University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network (UMBN) are A-holes. They gave up the fight for press freedom in Valencia City, Bukidnon, even before they could put up one.
How could some people in the news media allow themselves to be bullied by an unconstitutional closure order issued by a mayor who didn't even know what he was doing? But UMBN executives quickly developed cold feet--they chickened out! The result: a broadcaster whose only "fault" was to speak and give Valencia's people a voice is now a datum in the National Statistics Office's list of jobless Filipinos.
The mayor of Valencia, Jose Galario, must be happy now because the voice of the DxMV-Radyo Ukay broadcaster he hates has ceased to reverberate in his city's airwaves. All the enemies of press freedom should congratulate UMBN vice president Roland Raval for forging an "amicable settlement" with Galario in an apparent effort to appease the mayor.
The Washington Post was alone at first when it ran Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's stories on Watergate. The Post's competitors were not picking the story up and worst, the Bernstein-Woordward exposes were being outrightly denied and called rubbish by Washington.
Bernstein and Woodward stood by their stories. Ben Bradley and the other Post editors backed Bernstein and Woodward. And their publisher, Katharine Graham, became their cheerleader. To make the long story short, all of them became pivotal in the subsequent downfall of the Nixon presidency.
The Post fought a giant, perhaps the most powerful man on earth at that time. Which makes me wonder why a radio network such as UMBN could succumb that easily to an accidental and small-time mayor--I mean, to the tantrums of a former police major who acts and thinks like a "Cafgu" transported back to the days of the Gestapo.
I had expected Galario to, at least, display some sign of being an officer and a gentleman given his military/police background. I had thought he meant what he said when he apologized for his being "imperfect", for his being "human". That apology would have been accepted, he would have been forgiven; that apology would have ended the controversy for good. But as it turned out, Galario did not mean a word he said because as he was making that "apology", his lapdogs were organizing a rally to pressure UMBN to get rid of broadcaster Arlyn Ayon.
I don't know Ayon from Adam. I haven't even met her and I'm not aware of the issues or stories she had aired. But regardless of the cause she was fighting for inside DxMV's announcer's booth or whether we would agree with her or not, no one has the right to stop her from speaking her mind.
This is precisely what will happen when media owners start "negotiating" with politicians--press freedom and the people's interests will be set aside for awhile just to appease those who have the power to issue and revoke business permits. The day media owners start compromising is the day we will see and hear nothing but "praise release" journalism.
In the Valencia case, the UMBN-Galario "amicable settlement" cost Arlyn Ayon her job, sending this chilling message to that city's media: "Screw the mayor and he'll screw you back!"
Over the Cagayan de Oro-based DxIF-Bombo Radyo on Friday morning, Galario said he did not order DxMV padlocked (meaning, closed down), adding that he merely revoked the radio station's business permit because it had become a "threat" to Valencia's peace and order. The act, he said, was based on a city ordinance.
Mayor Galario is either a son@#$%^&*! or is someone who signs documents without reading. I suggest that Galario read his Sept. 16 letter to DxMV-Radyo Ukay. Nowhere in the letter can one find the city ordinance Galario was referring to.
Here is city hall's comical letter with all its spelling, grammatical and syntax errors:
"1. Effective September 17, 2003 at exactly 6:00 o'clock in the morning, your station is temporarily closed for violations of conduct prejudicial to the interest of the public. The following consolidated violations are:
"A. In May 15, 2001 the station during the crucial period from 1:00 AM - 5:00 AM make it as FM station and denied the public of the results due to the loosing candidate of the Mr. Romeo Chiang, the former manager.
"B. The station this time has been used as instrument of political war by certain broadcaster by agitating the public on various political issues;
"C. That the station has not initiated any acts to stop or prevent malicious accusations attacking personal issues that is tantamount to discredit certain officials without valid evidences;
"D. That the station is allowing illegitimate anchor persons without valid credentials as licensed broadcasters not duly accredited with the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcaster sa Pilipinas (KBP);
"E. And some other violations. (This one's really funny!--HG)
"2. DxMV Radio Ukay, Valencia City will cease operations unless there is valid authority. Permit is hereby temporary revoked effective Sept. 17, 2003 at exactly 6:00 AM.
"3. For strict compliance."
Here's another police blotter-like document, Memorandum Order 09-35, which Galario addressed to Valencia city police director Supt. Melchor Bedasua and local licensing division chief Marcela Lucot on the same day:
"You are hereby directed to effect the temporary closure of DxMV Radio Ukay effective tomorrow September 17, 2003 at exactly 6:00 in the morning for various violations.
"Place at the entrance of the station 'temporary closed'.
"Report compliance of this directive."
Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law first before his infamous media clampdown. In Valencia, the mayor had a radio station shut off just because a broadcast executive snubbed him. That's what Galario said in earlier interviews--that he issued the closure order because UMBN vice president Raval was a no-show during their scheduled meeting last August. It was as if Raval was obligated to see him.
And goodness gracious! If all public documents are being written the way they do it in Valencia's city hall, government will collapse.
Pastilan.
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