‘#DapatTotoo’: Inquirer, GMA in alliance for ’22 polls

COVERAGE PARTNERS The biggest alliance for promoting truth, honesty and integrity in the May 2022 elections is launched on Friday by GMA Network and its partners consisting of 50 leading organizations, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Inquirer.net. The partnership seeks to provide, among others, the most comprehensive media coverage of the elections. —GMA NETWORK

MANILA, Philippines — Fifty-one organizations, including the Inquirer and led by GMA Network, formalized on Friday a partnership “to promote honesty, integrity and truth” in the May 2022 national and local elections. It is by far the biggest alliance led by GMA, bringing onboard the country’s most respected companies and institutions in media, education, law, business and public service.

As in previous elections, the Philippine Daily Inquirer will be the exclusive print media partner of GMA Network for next year’s polls.

Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Inquirer Group of Companies, and Inquirer Interactive chair and president Paolo Prieto attended the online partnership launch, which also amplified alliance’s battlecry “#DapatTotoo” (It must be the truth).

The partnership will highlight the collective effort of news companies, business circles, law and advocacy groups, and other industry leaders to empower voters and uphold the truth in the upcoming elections. It aims to deliver the widest and most comprehensive coverage of the polls across all media platforms.

Tremendous responsibility

GMA Network chair and CEO Felipe Gozon said the media and other institutions “carry a tremendous responsibility” to help voters make the right choice, “as our next president … will directly affect our lives and the direction of our country at least in the next six years.”

“Now more than ever, we need to elect leaders who can best steer our country out of the COVID-19 pandemic, chart our economic recovery, and effectively protect our sovereign rights and economic interests after the second half of next year and six years thereafter,” Gozon said.

“This upcoming election is happening at a crucial period when everyone is experiencing hardships due to the pandemic coupled with the deliberate spread of fake news to promote or discredit candidates,” Prieto-Romualdez said.

“Now more than ever, we have a tremendous responsibility to provide credible, truthful and comprehensive news and information. Our partnership with GMA 7 and other organizations with like-minded advocacies is a testament to our yearning for good governance and an honest and peaceful election. We look forward to working with them in helping the public have more informed choices,” she added.

The joint Inquirer-GMA coverage is “a big step in making this objective a reality,” Prieto of Inquirer.net stressed.“Inquirer.net is honored to be part of this noble endeavor and is grateful for the continued trust and support by GMA of what we have been doing as a credible online media company,” he said.

More commitments

According to GMA Network, more organizations and institutions have committed to join the advocacy. From having 34 partners for the last elections, which were held in 2019, the alliance now counts 51 members.

Commission on Elections chair Sheriff Abas said the partnership with the media would be crucial at a time when fake news spreads fast on social media with an intention of “destroying the credibility of our democracy.”

“Media plays an important role in our democracy, with the duty to report the truth’’ to help voters decide on their choices, he said.