Contextualizing the Jeffrey Celiz apology

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

A cursory examination of the public apology of activist-turned-political operator-turned-military asset Jeffrey Celiz to Iloilo media organizations will make one think that coming to terms with your mistakes is always the best policy.

But we cannot stop here. We need to contextualize his “mea culpa” in the light of his recent statements against cause-oriented groups and even journalists whom he tagged to the communist rebellion citing his past links to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Here is the unedited text of his apology to media organizations, including Daily Guardian, in a radio interview on Thursday:

“In the spirit sang pagkilala sina, kinanglan ko magpakanubo sang akon kaugalingon sa tubang sa aton pumuluyo. Akon ginabaton no matter how intimidating or irritating ang mga komentaryo sa radyo — RMN, Bombo, Aksyon, Panay News, Daily Guardian, indi ini worth para mgkadto sa level sang personal attack…

Ginakasubo ko nga nagkalatabo ina and with all humility, batunon man ina kag sa indi, ang right thing for me to do is to say a public apology to those excesses.

Wala sang madula sa akon pagka tawo kag pagka lalaki nga makilala nga in our life, sa aton pag usoy sa banas sa kabuhi naga abot ang mga bagay nga may sala nga decision nga gina obra kag kinanglan kilalanon mo ini nga leksyon kag balikan mo sang redemption, pagbawi, sang maayo nga panimuot kag pagpaka nubo sa mga tawo nga nagkaroon sang nga diperensya kag sakit bunga sang wrongful and excesses political action nga gin obra ko. Particularly, I extend that apology in behalf sa akon nga pamilya nga nasakitan man sa mga atake sa ila kag sa mga pumoluyo, this is a very serious situation nga nagkalatabo sang nagliligad.

I think it’s high time for me to recognize nga dapat magpangayo ako sang pagpakanubo for offending and hurting sang balatyagon ni John Paul Tia, Jocel Bañas, Jun Capulot, John Sapio, the late Danny Fajardo, John Pamplona and Don Dolido and even to Rommel Ynion.. nga mga nakabanggian ko in a public blocktime and broadcast nga paid sang program ni Mayor Mabilog nga ako ga anchor. Ina pagpangayo sang pagpakanubo, ginakilala ko ang excesses nga ina, kabahin ina sang akon journey nga mabawi ko ang mga sala nga nagkalatabo including ang desisyon ko nga mag upod sa CCP-NPA-NDF.”

A disclosure: former mayor Mabilog is my wedding godfather but that did not get in the way of my work as a journalist, and Mr. Celiz and his tirades against us is proof of that.

But this is not about the slight that Mr. Celiz’s previous statements caused us and any other news organizations. We recognize his attempt to seek forgiveness and redemption, but it is also worth examining his word and where he might be coming from.

It cannot be denied that he recently hogged the limelight for spilling the so-called beans on militant groups and personalities and their alleged links to the communist insurgency. He also tagged Inquirer Visayas bureau chief Nestor Burgos to the rebels because of the latter’s membership with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

His allegations serves as a predicate to the Duterte administration’s efforts to brand the CPP-NPA-NDF and its alleged legal fronts as terrorists under Philippine laws (our courts have yet to proscribe them as such, based no less on the statements of our justice department).

The apology was also issued before the scheduled arrival of Presidential Communications Operations Office Usec. Lorraine Badoy and Major General Antonio Parlade who have been in the forefront of the so-called red-tagging of militant groups and individuals. They are to lead a peace summit in Passi City, Iloilo on Thursday, per information we received.

Anyway, Mr. Celiz’s allegations are now the focus of legislative inquiries, which could lead to the passage of a law that will criminalize red-tagging, particularly on the part of the Senate. He also has the burden to prove his words in the proper forum, especially in the courts.

Again, apology accepted but its sincerity will be diluted if it is only meant to get sympathy from journalists. He is always welcome to say his piece, but that does not and should not preclude journalists from examining his every word and his intentions.

Journalism is all about context. How?

It’s like this: someone will tell you that it’s sunny outside while another will say it’s rainy. You don’t just report or write both sides for the sake of fairness or out of fear of stepping on people’s toes (read: he said/she said reporting). What you do is get to the window and find out the truth.

If the mea culpa will serve as a balm to Mr. Celiz’s troubled conscience, who are we to deny him that modicum of comfort? Forgiving is divine anyway.

But we still have our work to ferret out the truth amid the drama and sensationalism that our sources spew out. And that is our focus as always.