Once again, warped thinking was on full display when a Yolly Reyes Junto posted on Facebook her rant against Reuters reporters Manny Mogato and Karen Lerma over the story of President Duterte comparing himself with Adolf Hitler.
Junto’s Oct. 1 post started with a purported disclaimer: “I am no Duterte fanatic. I criticize him more scathingly than anyone when his mouth is out of line. But this time, Duterte really didn’t say anything wrong. ‘
Then her tirades against the Reuters reporters: The real culprits behind the fuss over his Hitler comment are Karen Lerma and Manuel Mogato, two Filipino reporters of the Reuters news agency, who wrote this article: ‘Philippines’ Duterte likens himself to Hitler, wants to kill millions of drug addicts’.”
Reuters’ report focused on this quote by Duterte upon his arrival from Vietnam last Sept. 30. Addressing the international concern over the rising number of those killed in his campaign against illegal drugs, Duterte said, ” Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts…I’d be happy to slaughter them. “
He continued: “At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have what you know (pointing to himself). My victims, I would like to be — all criminals — to finish the problem and save the next generation from perdition.”
Reuters, being an international news Agency with bureaus all over the world, immediately got reactions from relevant government officials of other countries and Jewish organizations who all found Duterte’s remarks “ disgusting” and “offensive.”
Two days after, Duterte apologized saying it was “never an intention on my part to derogate the memory of the six million Jews murdered.”
At least he didn’t blame the reporters like what Junto did. “These malicious and irresponsible journalists are the true enemies of Philippine democracy, and they should be punished with the full force of the law,” Duterte’s supporter said.
She further said “Irresponsible journalists must be punished.”
Reporters are used to people not agreeing with their reports. We are in a democracy and we recognize each and every one’s right to air his or her views.
It’s in that same spirit that those who do not find published reports pleasant should not take it against the reporters. What should matter is the accuracy of the report.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines issued a statement underscoring that “journalism is no crime.”
“But threatening journalists when their reportage is disagreeable or erroneous is criminal, as is helping spread these threats, especially if any harm should befall the subjects of such opprobrium,” NUJP’s chairman, Ryan D. Rosauro, stressed.
Reporters are not infallible. We commit mistakes and if that happens, we apologize and make corrections. That’s part of our responsibility to the public.
In the case of Mogato’s and Lerma’s story, there was no misquotation nor distortion committed in their report on Duterte’s Hitler comments.
Since Junto said she criticizes Duterte “when his mouth is out of line”, maybe she should join the call of Duterte allies like Sen. Dick Gordon and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for the President to “moderate his language” and be a statesman as what a president should be.
If and when that happens, Duterte and his admirers are assured media will report it as accurately as we have reported all that he said the past 100 days.
Ellen, is Karen Lema the same journalist who emailed me about Burgundy and the Oil exploration industry back in Arroyo’s time?
kung tutuusin ay parang isang pamilya tayong mga pinoy, eh. ang presidente ang tumatayong pinakatatay natin at tayong mga mamamayan bilang kanyang mga anak. at, bilang mga anak, tama bang ipagkakalat natin kung anumang maanghang na salita ang namumutawi sa bibig ng ating mga magulang upang ipahiya sila sa ibang tao o kapitbahayan?
hindi ba’t kapag ipinahiya natin ang ating tatay ay ipinapahiya din natin ang ating mga sarili at buong pamilya at yun ay buong sangkapinuyan?
Di ko alam kung nakakatulong ang estilo nya, mas masahol pa sya kay Kim Jong Un..!
The title of the article is “Threatening reporters, not journalism, is a crime”
What did this Junto woman say?
Where is the crime, if she wants to apply the full force of the law?
She said journalists must be punished. Is that a crime?
The punishment can be legal, as she said above. It can also be economic, by way of a boycott.
I see no crime here. In the same way that I do not see any crime when someone says “ididemanda kita”, or even “Ipakukulong kita”.
^ I agree. They’re not sacred cows by any stretch (even if the likes of PDI think of themselves as such).
Even threatening them with violence, I think, is protected free speech.
I have to agree with saxnviolins #4.
Even so, I have to say, with great power comes great responsibility. That goes to journalists, who should strive to be more responsible in exercising their power.
That goes too to the President, who should learn that the power of words are real and that some things are better left unsaid. He should tame his mouth and manners, because, whether he likes it or not, anything he says and does would be interpreted correctly or wrongly, maliciously or otherwise, and for good or bad, an entire nation could go with him.
#2 If that is the analogy, then isn’t it the father who should protect the family’s honor by being a good example of a person whose conduct and behavior are beyond reproach??? hindi ba sinasabi natin, kung ano ang puno ay siyang bunga. kung ganyan ang ama ko, mahihiya akong aminin na ama ko nga siya at bagkus iiwasan kong matulad sa kanyang ugali.
Huwag na kayong magtalo. Ang masabi ko lang si Pangulong Duterte ay parang walis tingting. Marumi ang walis tingting pero nakakalinis ng kapaligiran.
#7 kaya nga nagpapakita ng buo ang loob at katapangan ang tatay mo ay para hindi ka na laitlaitin at matamatahin ng ibang tao at lalo’t higit ay ipadama’t ipakita sa kanila na hindi ka dapat lang kaawaan kundi ituring na kapantay nila sa pagkakamit ng anumang karapatan.