Monday, November 13, 2006 Talk Back: Misconstruing a well-meaning concern By Ceres I. Geromo Senior Probation and Parole Officer Public Information Officer-Designate
THIS is a reaction to the article, “Coast Guard needs more resources,” (Sun.Star Cebu, Oct. 18, 2006, page A6).
I am the public information officer of the Parole and Probation Administration, a corrections bureau under the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In the program, “DOJ” was never mentioned.
Not being directly from DOJ, I am not in any position to sweepingly say that, “most ports in Mindanao with connecting routes to Cebu are known as transshipment points of illegal drugs and illegal guns.”
Second, I was talking from a personal experience and not as a government officer, thus writing that “Ceres Geromo of the DOJ” is misleading.
Third, my main point during the forum was about a port experience recently, which was also experienced by other reactors.
I pointed out that baggage are checked—through X-ray and by canine dogs—when one leaves the port of Cebu but that there is actually no similar checking for in-bound passengers.
My concern is about the security and safety of Cebu if in-bound passengers are not checked because by then drugs and guns can be brought in.
Therefore, it is not fair to misconstrue a well-meaning concern as a dangerous issue by quoting words not even mentioned during the forum.
I appreciate the fact that articles about our office and my writings see print in your paper from time to time.
But this is not the first time that facts and points have not been accurately reported by some of your writers.
There were articles that referred to our office by another agency name and writing differently from the information given. This is why I had to write to you already.
