Public accountability

Posted on February 1, 2007 - Filed Under |

WITHOUT going into the truth or falsity of the accusation hurled by two new tabloids in Pangasinan– whose editors and staff have chosen to remain journalistic phantoms—against a provincial board member and piggery magnate, last week’s big brouhaha at the sangguniang panlalawigan should highlight, more than anything else,  public accountability of both the attacker and the victim.

The attackers, because as supposed member or members of the media community, they are expected to be careful about going overboard and identifying and hurling accusations, but as it happens, they did not have the guts to face their subject by disclosing their editorial box or staff box in the newspaper pages. And the victim, because as public official (and this, only if the charges of the scandal sheet about some drug cases being “fixed” either in the courts or at the police stations had any iota of fact at all), he should be circumspect about ever having anything to do with cases that require dispensation of justice to perceived offenders. Here, we interject, is most applicable the dictum about Caesar’s wife and being above suspicion. 

Not that – if the charge were any true –the provincial official is alone, if ever, in wanting to help constituents and friends in trouble or who run afoul of the law. In the Filipino culture, everyone does that, i.e. extend a helping hand to others, given the chance. There’s even that municipal mayor who came under criticism in radio broadcasts last year when he sprang some drug suspects in his locality from detention or, at some other times, helped bail these out.

Still and all, if such officials can be faulted for being extreme Samaritans, an equal portion of the blame should be laid on the arresting officers, yes, the policemen and their officers, or even the prosecution men, for ever giving in to the “influence” of the misguided do-gooder official. If justice is to be served, officials should learn how and when to say “No.”

Now, if media ever “smells” such unseemly situations, there unravels the difference between the responsible and irresponsible reporter or newsman. The former asks and checks before he prints or disseminates it; the latter does the opposite – he prints and spreads it before checking out (if at all)  the facts.

So, where does the blame start? You tell us.

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