Aklan broadcast media assail SP’s ‘biased stance’ in giving of awards

KALIBO, Aklan – Divided by years of competition and personal issues, the Aklan broadcast media galvanized its ranks today and took turns in lambasting the Aklan Provincial Board for being “biased” and for playing “favoritism in the highest order”.

In a hook-up radio program Wednesday morning, managers and anchormen of Radyo Todo, Energy FM, Brigada News, RMN-dyKR, and YES FM Boracay & Easy Rock, aired their sentiments against the Aklan provincial board “for issuing an insensitive kind of a resolution” which, they said, is an “insult” to the members of the Aklan broadcast media as a whole.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan, on its 25th Regular Session on Jan. 6, 2020, passed a resolution “thanking and commending broadcast stations in Aklan” for its active coverage of Typhoon Ursula stating its “timely, accurate and relevant information and warnings to the people played a vital role in ensuring the safety of the Aklanons.

However, the citation was hit for its alleged partiality for one radio station, the Barangay RU 92.9 Super Radyo-Kalibo, which has been the sole object of the whereases in the said resolution. It was proposed SP Nemesio Neron, a retired police official, and co-sponsored by SP Emmanuel Soviet Russia A. Dela Cruz.

In a position paper to Vice Governor Reynaldo Quimpo, six radio stations based in Kalibo and Boracay Island assailed the resolution stating, “this only shows the appalling partiality of the Provincial Board towards Barangay RU 92.9 Super Radyo-Kalibo and has put into fore its lopsided attitude towards the rest of the media entities in the Province of Aklan.”

“First of all, as for the understanding of the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, as you are definitely mistaken, Barangay RU 92.9 Super Radyo-Kalibo is not the Aklan media and Aklan media, in the same way, is not RGMA-dyRU. So to invite all media entities in the province of Aklan to your so-called awarding ceremony to commend the entire media community for its come-hell-and-high-water coverage of Typhoon’s Ursulas’ devastation in the province of Aklan while the citation only refers to Barangay RU 92.9 Super Radyo-Kalibo is not only irresponsible but an embarrassment to the other members of the media community as well,” the paper states further.

 

‘LIKE STANDING WITHOUT A SOUL’

DT Joy Gener of RMN-dyKR recalled that she was like “standing without a soul” by the time that she was called in front of the session hall to accept on behalf of the Aklan media a copy of the resolution.

“Well, I really feel it was an insult, but professional as we are I did not comment in any manner equally insulting to them because we are not bastos,” she said.

 

BOYCOTT

Irked by the Resolution, Judel Rentillo of Energy FM, forwarded the idea of a boycott saying, “If they don’t consider us a partner in serving the public and they are just considering 1 station in the province of Aklan, why don’t we boycott from covering the SP session and their activities?”

“This move of the Provincial Board as a whole is very insulting,” he lamented.

For his part, Alan Palma, station manager of YES FM Boracay/Easy Rock, said: “I have nothing against the Board but they should have generalized it.”

He also assailed the fact that he was not informed nor invited to join in the ceremonies despite the naming of his station in the citation.

Jonathan Cabrera, station manager of Todo Media/Radyo Todo, said it is now high time that media fraternity in Aklan has to show, once again, its solidarity against individuals or groups who would want to undermine its presence.

“We should really close our ranks especially on issues like this which are tantamount to the disrespect of our existence,” he underscored.

 

PASSION TO SERVE

Although admitting that “this unfortunate incident takes a swipe at our sensibilities, it will never lessen, in any way, our resolve to genuinely serve the people of Aklan sans commendations,” stated the position paper.

The signatories to the position paper include Jonathan Cabrera of Todo Media/Radyo Todo, Apol Zaraspe of Energy FM, Joemer Soriano of Brigada News FM, DT Joy Gener of RMN-dyKR, John Chester Redecio of dyIN Bombo Radyo, and Alan Palma of YES FM Boracay/Easy Rock.

Zaraspe, who is also the president of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters sa Pilipina-Aklan Chapter, said that this kind of a resolution must be condemned for this kind of stance by the Sanggunian Panlalawigan is very “disturbing“ and a cause of dismay for all the other working media in the province.

He said he will call a separate meeting for all KBP member stations all over the province to discuss the issue.

 

RISKS IN REPORTING

The position paper also pointed out the risks being faced by the members of the media in times of disasters stating, “It is even a fact that while in the practice of our profession, wherein even us are also victims of calamities during calamities, we never care anymore even if we leave our families behind just to be available—if necessary, around the clock—in the service of the community that we have vowed to serve.”

“We believe that with the dramatic increase in the number of disasters in our country in these challenging times, the media community should even be more active in serving as an emergency broadcast system during disasters in order to get vital information to the people who need it the most,” it said.

“Indeed, the media plays a crucial role but we also have our own limitations. But in so many ways, the opportunities our profession brings for us to be in service to the community in these troubling times are the fireworks that keep us moving with or without awards or commendations,” the position paper adds.

 

‘UNITED WE STAND’

The significant hook-up is the usual venue among Aklan mediamen on issues they want to bring to the airwaves due to their relevance while forgetting their differences for a while. Their last hook-up was about three years ago.

Joemer Soriano, station manager of Brigada News FM, stressed that “mediamen here could have been into some sort of competition or maybe personal differences but there are moments that we should show to all and sundry that we protect its others back when it comes to issues that concern our ranks.”

The group had asked Vice Governor Quimpo to cross out the names of their stations in the content of the resolution, saying “And as we are no longer looking forward to correcting this unpleasant and displeasing attitude of our officials that highlights the significant prejudice against other media groups or entities in the Province of Aklan, what we want is an outright crossing out of our media entities’ name in the content of the said Resolution.”

Vice Governor Quimpo was not immediately available for comment while Neron, the sponsor of the Resolution, was called several times by Todo Radyo, but is reportedly busy attending to guests and visitors.