THE National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, in a statement Sunday, October 28, said it is outraged that the Philippine Information Agency, specifically its Negros Occidental office, can so “brazenly insult our colleagues” in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental by proposing questions for them to ask administration senatorial candidate Christopher “Bong” Go.
Go was expected in Bacolod on Saturday, October 27, with President Rodrigo Duterte for the highlight of the city’s annual Masskara Festival.
Saturday afternoon, colleagues in Bacolod forwarded to the NUJP a text message from PIA-Negros Occidental Provincial Information Center manager Lorenzo Lambatin Jr. that listed a number of “suggested questions to Sec. Bong Go,” the group said.
The questions as they appeared in the text message:
1. Sir message ninyo sa mga taga-Bacolod and sa Masskara event?”
2. What makes you busy now that you are no longer with the government?
3. Sir, bakit ka tumakbo bilang senador?
4. Sir,tell us about Malasakit Centers?
5. Sir what would be your legislative agenda, sakaling palarin kang manalo bilang senador?
NUJP pointed out, “since when have the duties of the PIA included being a public relations arm for political candidates and, as the second question clearly acknowledges, a private citizen ‘no longer with the government?’”
“We would like to remind PIA-Negros Occidental of your agency’s mandate,” it said.
In the agency’s website, its mandate said the PIA aims to disseminate information about government programs, projects, and services to the Filipino public, with the final goal of seeing the quality of their lives improved and empowered to participate in the country’s democratic processes.
“As the only government information network that can reach the grassroots—spanning 16 regional offices and 78 provincial information centers—the PIA is the country’s chief information arm. Its expertise is development communication. PIA also serves as a public relations firm for specific communication campaigns as requested by agencies under the Office of the President, national government agencies, local government units, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), government financial institutions (GFIs), special inter-agency committees/councils and government task forces, among others,” it also said.
“Mr. Lambatin owes the Negros media an apology for this affront and should explain who ordered or cleared this use of his office to promote the candidacy of Mr. Go and/or anyone else, whether administration or opposition,” NUJP said.
“We also call on PIA Director-General Harold Clavite to immediately conduct an investigation into this matter and make the findings public,” it added.