Thursday, October 05, 2006 Capillas: All too human By Stephen Capillas The Lowdown
RECEIVED a short note on last Tuesday's column entitled "Radio Tit for Tat" in which a reader voiced his reaction to the verbal crossfire between opposition Councilor Zaldy Ocon and his "Kuskos Batikos" program at dxCC and Michael Angelo Bustamante in his "Bombohanay sa Udto" program last Monday.
Like I said, while a lot of people found it entertaining -- some of the neighbors who listened to both programs even howled in laughter at the way these two verbally slugged it out with each other using words like "gabaan" (karma) and "lamlama" (absurd) -- there are some within the media circle who found it disheartening since it involves fellow media practitioners -- though MIB would certainly argue about that point concerning Ocon.
Now one would think that these exchanges are isolated only among local media but in truth like most professions, there are the usual confrontations that occur among the media practitioners in other parts of the country including Manila which is seen as the center of the country's media profession in much the same way that local government units (LGUs) see Imperial Manila as the center of political governance in the country.
It was only a decade ago or more when then ABS-CBN talent Jay Sonza figured in a near altercation with then ABS-CBN President for News and Current Affairs lawyer Ric "Dong" Puno over the latter's decision to ban ABS-CBN broadcasting talents from appearing in TV and radio commercial endorsements.
As recounted in one columnist in a national daily, Sonza questioned and complained against the directive during his radio program at the ABS-CBN AM channel dzMM, even going so far as calling Puno "pandak" (short), a description now used by militant groups on our sitting President.
The animosity was such that it was reported that Puno even prepared to load his gun in anticipation of a visit from Sonza at his office.
Sonza then eventually left with Mel Tiangco to transfer to GMA-7 while Puno also left ABS-CBN to serve as then Press Secretary for then President Joseph Estrada, before winding up anew at ABS-CBN after a failed bid for senator in the 2001 elections.
The circumstances surrounding Bustamante and Ocon's recent verbal altercation are vastly different since it also involves government officials and allegations of corruption committed by the latter which Ocon accuses Bustamante -- and by extension or association the latter's radio station management as Ocon implied -- of being linked with.
But it also reflects how, in the midst of all the bashing from its critics and even among its own ranks, that the national media in general and the local media in particular are not exempt to being mired in its own share of controversy and mudslinging -- that it is being occupied by people that are all too human and thus subjected to the same climate of corruption, intrigue and erroneous thinking prevalent in other professions, institutions and groups.
Heck, even the Catholic Church had been accused of its share of crimes and communist groups like the New People's Army (NPA) have their own big problems on corruption and the same holds true for media. One can expound and discuss this for a day or two but that's one subject to be dealt with in another time.
For questions and comments please send to sunspot12002@yahoo.com or warpath1232@yahoo.com
(October 5, 2006 issue) Write letter to the editor. Click here. Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here.
