Quantcast
Article Index |Advertise | Mobile | RSS | Wireless | Newsletter | Archive | Corrections | Syndication | Contact us | About Us
 
Sun, Nov 23, 2008 02:23 AM Philippines      25°C to 33°C
   HOME       NEWS     SPORTS     SHOWBIZ AND STYLE     TECHNOLOGY     BUSINESS     OPINION      GLOBAL NATION    SERVICES
 
  Breaking News :    
Advertisement
Robinsons Land Corp.
Paskong Pinoy

INQUIRER ALERT
Get the free INQUIRER newsletter
Enter your email address:

 
Inquirer Headlines / Nation Type Size: (+) (-)
You are here: Home > News > Inquirer Headlines > Nation

  ARTICLE SERVICES      
     Reprint this article     Print this article  
    Send as an e-mail     Send Feedback  
    Comment on this article on our Vox Populi blog  






imns



China cover-up more damaging—journalist

By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:32:00 10/05/2008

MANILA, Philippines—More damaging than the tainting of dairy products with melamine is the cover-up of the scandal by Chinese authorities, a China-based Filipino journalist said yesterday.

Chito Sta. Romana, chief of the ABC News Bureau in China, said the tainted milk scandal was proof of a “failure of the Chinese system of governance,” particularly its regulatory system.

“It’s the result of the greed that has been unleashed on Chinese society by the economic reforms [and is proof] of the failure of the system of governance,” he said at a Sulo Hotel press forum in Quezon City.

What complicated the scandal was the cover-up by Chinese authorities in the run-up to the Olympics, said Sta. Romana, who is in Manila for a visit.

“It’s clear that Chinese officials at the local level knew about this as early as July, some say as early as December. But they didn’t want to bring it to the attention of the national leadership and they didn’t want it revealed to the media because of the Olympics,” he said.

Food safety has been an issue in China, more so when China-made pet food that was being exported to the United States was found to be tainted with melamine, according to Sta. Romana.

“It has come back with a vengeance. In this case, milk. And it has become a source of panic,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean that all milk from China is bad.”

Sta. Romana also laughed off talk the Chinese purposely laced the dairy products with melamine in support of the state’s one-child policy.

“I don’t think so. If it turns out to be the case, it would really be a major scandal. It could be the tipping point in terms of public dissatisfaction because this is one case where the public panicked—
[it’s] very similar to what happened with SARS,” he said, referring to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003 and 2004.



Copyright 2008 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

To subscribe to the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper in the Philippines, call +63 2 896-6000 for Metro Manila and Metro Cebu or email your subscription request here.

Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer's day desk.
Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer's Reader's Advocate.
Or write The Readers' Advocate:

c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer
Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets,
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94


Share


OTHER STORIES:



  ^ Back to top

© Copyright 2001-2008 INQUIRER.net, An INQUIRER Company

The INQUIRER Network: HOME | NEWS | SPORTS | SHOWBIZ & STYLE | TECHNOLOGY | BUSINESS | OPINION | GLOBAL NATION | Site Map
Services: Advertise | Buy Content | Wireless | Newsletter | Low Graphics | Search / Archive | Article Index | Contact us
The INQUIRER Company: About the Inquirer | User Agreement | Link Policy | Privacy Policy

Advertisement
CItiglobal
Inquirer Blogs
QS Top MBA
Inquirer VDO