Radio station tries to quell reactions to anchor’s comment vs call center agents

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

A radio station in Iloilo City tried to clear the air on Saturday after one of its anchors made harsh comments against call center agents in his radio program Friday evening, triggering a slew of negative responses from netizens on social media.

In a screenshot sent to Daily Guardian, Radyo Mindanao Network (RMN) Iloilo’s Facebook page responded to user Lee Lui’s call for an apology, saying that it was merely addressed to some “ill-mannered” employees of a particular call center.

The station added that it will “take responsibility” for their anchor’s actions, and will issue a statement.

“The commentary is intended only to some ill-mannered iQor Iloilo employees who bashed and wished RMN bad. It was not intended to all call center agents. His mistake is to specify the commentary and not to generalize. Nevertheless the station will take full responsibility of it and will issue a statement,” the station told a Facebook user.

During radio program Targetanay sa Udto, RMN Iloilo Station Manager Ronel Sorbito said that veteran anchor Jun Capulot had already apologized in the latter part of his program.

Sorbito also said that while “their tongues may slip at times”, he assured that they “do not tolerate insensitive and demeaning commentaries”.

During his program Patrol 774 on July 31, however, Capulot said he wouldn’t be afraid of the feedback before saying that call center agents were “lazy to use their brain cells”.

“Wala ko ya mahadlok sa inyo sa mga bwisit kamo ah! Amo na guro nga dira kamo nag-tener kag dira lang kamo nag-mantener sa call centers kay tamaran kamo mag-galamit sang brain cells niyo!” He repeatedly said throughout the program.

(I am not afraid of you! Maybe you stayed and are staying at call centers because you’re lazy to use your brain cells!)

Capulot went on, saying he had an unnamed friend who allegedly “was a Mass Communication graduate” who had told him that “it was easy” and “only involved typing on the keyboard”.

“Abi mo, como kay ara sila sa call center, abi mo mga manami? Way man ta ga-discriminate gid sa tanan kay ang iban da mga maaalam. Pero ang trabaho sa call center, ilabi na gid kun ang akon nga kilala, Mass Comm graduate man siya, pagkatapos, nagtrabaho siya sa call center. Kitaay kami, hambal ko sa iya, siling ko, ‘Ti kamusta ang trabaho sa call center?’ Siling ya, ‘Nami to ya sir kay indi ka to magamit utok mo.’ Siling ko, ‘Ngaa ano trabaho mo to sa call center haw?’ Hambal ya, ‘Pwerte to ka-tawhay sir, pindot-pindot ka lang sa keyboard,’” Capulot said.

(You think, because they work at call centers, they’re good? We’re not discriminating against all of them because some of them are smart. But work in a call center, and this is according to an acquaintance who is a Mass Comm graduate, after which he worked at a call center. We met one time, and I asked him ‘How’s work at a call center?’ He answered, ‘It’s good sir because you don’t need to use your brain.’ I asked again, ‘What do you do there?’ He then told me, ‘It’s very lax, you just have to press on a keyboard.’)

These comments were made in the context of four cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) announced by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas earlier in the week which were tagged to a call center based in the city.

As of this writing, the livestream footage of Patrol 774 on July 31, 2020 and Targetanay Sa Udto on August 1, 2020 have been taken down from RMN Iloilo’s Facebook page.

 

REACTIONS

Capulot’s statement drew the ire of netizens and groups on social media.

Lean Porquia, an activist working at a call center in Metro Manila, issued an open letter to RMN and Capulot.

Porquia said that he did commend Treñas’ efforts to meet with call center officials in the city due to the confirmed COVID-19 cases.

“When Iloilo City found out that 4 agents tested positive in one of the BPO companies, Mayor Treñas called for a meeting and requested to stop operations and give way for the disinfection and sanitation protocols. This is good! In fact, commendable!” Porquia said in his open letter

He then added that he didn’t understand the necessity of Capulot’s comments, finding them “very painful”.

“What I don’t understand is why RMN Iloilo’s anchorman, Jun Capulot, delivered a 5-minutes tirade against call center agents?! To quote ‘wala gagamit brain cells ang mga call center agents. Ubra nila pindot pindot lang sa keyboard’ (Call center agents don’t use their brain cells, all they do is press the keyboard). It’s very painful to listen to the whole tirade, as if my association with any BPO company puts me and my fellow workers to the dumbest and useless profession in the whole world!” he added.

He said the comments made were “misplaced”.

“Now, the COVID threat is really an issue. But I think your tirade is misplaced. Did you apply in a call center before and failed to pass the interview? I don’t see the connection why you have to lambast BPO workers as dumb, useless, and ‘not using our brain cells’ when the issue here is compliance to health protocols of companies?” Porquia said.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Iloilo (NUJP-Iloilo) also released a statement on August 1 denouncing Capulot’s commentary and demanded the anchor to issue an “unequivocal” apology to call center agents.

“Broadcaster Jun Capulot of Radio Mindanao Network-Iloilo should issue an unequivocal apology to all call center agents for his disparaging remarks aired in his radio program.

There is absolutely no reason to belittle and demean call center agents or any one for that matter who are employed in honest and productive work,” the NUJP-Iloilo said in its statement.

The NUJP-Iloilo also called on the radio station to investigate the matter and “mete appropriate sanctions”.

“We also call on the management of RMN-Iloilo to investigate the matter and mete appropriate sanctions on what is clearly a breach of professional ethical standards of broadcasters and journalists. At a time when compassion is asked from all of us, demeaning and insulting comments on one’s profession are reprehensible especially coming from a journalist who is supposed to serve the public,” they said.

 

‘DON’T DISCRIMINATE’

Treñas again called to avoid discrimination, this time against call center agents, in light of the confirmed cases.

In a statement uploaded to his official Facebook page on Saturday, the mayor called for compassion toward call center agents.

“We cannot undermine the value of health and safety of everyone, but I also ask the general public to avoid any form of discrimination, instead, let us show compassion to our brothers and sisters in the BPO industry that they may be safe from the threats of COVID-19,” the mayor said in a statement.

He urged the public to “move on” as the city government and company management are already addressing concerns.

“Let us now move forward with regard to a BPO company having some issues. The agents are now being tested and the management is booking them in hotel rooms so they can be properly quarantined while waiting for their test results. May this serve as a lesson for all of us, especially private companies, to prioritize the health and safety of the employees. This can be done through proper coordination with the authorities,” he added.