Aquino won’t stop tirade vs media

President Benigno Aquino INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

It won’t be the last of President Benigno Aquino’s tirade against the media.

Malacañang said Wednesday that the President won’t be holding his punches against the media despite criticisms from various groups over his tirades against TV Patrol anchor, former Vice President Noli de Castro.

“You can expect the President to be always frank about his statements. The President has always been forthright with what he thinks is proper; what he thinks should be; what is not proper,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters.

Malacañang also doubted there would be less invitation for the President because of the incident.

“And will media, again, invite him? Of course, you want the head of the country to be invited to your occasion and there’s no reason why you should cower in fear from inviting the President,” Lacierda said.

Mr. Aquino criticized executives and staff of TV Patrol for highlighting the negative in their early evening newscast during their anniversary on Friday night, and swiped at an anchorman for his “baseless” comments in between news, referring to De Castro.

Lacierda disagreed with statements by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) that Mr. Aquino had been engaged in a “whine and bash” routine.

“We believe it was a proper moment to inform ABS-CBN TV Patrol on the actuations of their anchorman,” he said. “We believe the President was not in error when he made and decided to make that speech on the 25th anniversary of TV Patrol.”