Thursday, January 18, 2007 Editorial: That radio station closure
IF anything, the timing of the padlocking of a radio station in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon was questionable coming as it is during an election season.
What makes this all the more interesting is the fact that it supposedly involves the influential Acosta family, which counts among its members Bukidnon First Dist. Rep. Nereus Acosta and his mother, Manolo Fortich Mayor Socorro Acosta.
According to the building owner that rents the space to Radyo Natin management, the station failed to pay the rentals for five years, thus necessitating the padlocking of the station until payment is made.
Question is, why did they wait for five years before deciding to padlock the station? The building owner, a certain Juan Acosta, admitted that the family was hurt with the criticism leveled on them by the radio station's commentators.
Other questions arise: since when did the station become critical of its landlords and for what reason? Some doubts were also cast towards the station management when its franchise holder admitted that he was invited by Bukidnon Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri to join the lineup of candidates for the coming elections.
And the franchise holder appears to be willing to consider the offer. Even a high school dropout can discern that the timing of the criticism and the temporary (we assume) closure of the radio station simply cannot be shrugged off as a matter of coincidence.
It's all about politics whether one likes to admit it or not and in this instance, both sides appear to be playing the field. And in this sense, media is caught in the middle of this political mudfest and surface evidence shows that some of them have some involvement in this mess.
One cannot deny that media plays a very crucial role in the coverage of the elections and emotions are expected to run high as candidates try to put each other down in their war to win the people's vote.
Thus one expects them to use every instrument at their disposal to achieve this end. Politics in this part of the world or in any part of the world for that matter isn't pretty and its practitioners know this very well, that's why they've lasted so long in power the way they did.
One could only hope that the radio station keeps its distance and is free from whatever shred of involvement in the ongoing political rivalry between the Zubiris and the Acostas or with any other politician from whatever side of the political fence for that matter.
