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Saturday, October 04, 2003
PIA complaint letter stirs up local media
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
THE unsigned open letter containing complaints against Philippine Information Agency (PIA) 10 regional director Olivia Sudaria created a stir among local media practitioners.
Just last Friday, several text messages were passed around in the local press circle calling for all its members to boycott PIA conferences and to rally together to have Sudaria kicked out of office.
One text message read: "End corruption at PIA-10. Boycott their press conferences and oust Sudaria Now! Media makialam at makibaka. Pls pass."
Leaders of organized media groups are also set to tackle these complaints against Sudaria in their respective groups' meetings to make a stand on the matter.
The groups include: the Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC), National Union of Journalists in the Philippines-Cagayan de Oro chapter (NUJP-CDO) and Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters ng Pilipinas-Cagayan de Oro (KBP) among others.
Several press corps have also signified their intent to come up with their own separate statements on the Sudaria issue.
Zaldy Ocon, radio station dxCC Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) program director also vowed Friday to bring the complaints versus Sudaria to the head PIA office in Manila and even to press secretary Ricardo Bunye.
Radio station dxIF Bombo Radyo station manager Jun Albino also tackled the contents of the open letter during his Sona Libre last night with Sudaria inside his booth.
Sudaria, for her part, went to dxCC RMN Friday to air her side saying she is ready to open all PIA-10 documents and records to clear matters up.
She also challenged the writer of the unsigned open letter to come out in the open.
"Tao ako at dapat tao rin ang kaharap ko (I am a person and this writer should come out and talk to me in person too)," she reiterated.
This she said even as she confessed on live broadcast the truthfulness of some of the allegations stipulated in the open letter.
Among the complaints she admitted was on converting a store room at PIA-10 and living there day and night since she was transferred to the office.
She claims that she is not using the air-conditioner when she sleeps in the store room. However, there was no categorical admission as to her using the cable TV, water and other amenities in the PIA-10 office.
Sudaria reiterated her claim that she was given permission by their former head office to take up residence at the PIA-10 for free.
She said, however, that this was all made verbally and that there was no written permission to this effect.
In response, Ocon told Sudaria on live broadcast that she should practice "delicadeza" in using the PIA-10 office as her "hotel" at the expense of taxpayers's money, since she took over years ago.
"Mag-renta nalang diay ka ug balay sa gawas? (Why not rent a house out of the building?)," he said.
But Sudaria said several regional directors are also using their offices as their homes particularly if they are from a different locality and was just assigned there.
Ocon said this might be true and allowed, but for a few months only not for years.
"Dako na gani kaayo na ang tulo ka bulan (Three months of living in the office is even too long already)," he said.
Sudaria then said what she is doing is legal, citing Sec. 32 of the General Appropriations Act, which provides her a quarters allowance.
A media practioner commented that Sudaria is "misleading" the public with this statement.
"What she said is very misleading! This quarters allowance does not include cable, water and several other expenses, which Sudaria is making the people pay by making that office her lodging house," he said.
Sudaria also clarified again that she is collecting only P300 and not P500 as contained in the open letter, as she denied all the other charges of corruption and selling off the media.
Ocon said he will not let up on the discussion until he gets to the bottom of the issue, adding that he is set to raise the issue to Sec. Bunye.
(October 4, 2003 issue)
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