KBP to let networks investigate mediamen tagged in Pork payoff

Screengrab PDI front page for March 19, 2014

MANILA, Philippines—The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) on Thursday said it would leave the investigation of the alleged media payoff to the home networks of the accused mediamen.

“We are concerned with this but we do not want to conclude for now because we need to hear both sides.  And if there is a need to investigate, we will leave it to their network since they already signified to look into the case,” KBP President Herman Basbano said in Filipino in an interview on Inquirer Radio 990AM.

Basbano  urged the public not to judge quickly, and instead let the accused mediamen air their side.

“We should listen to them because it’s only the whistleblowers who have spoken as of this time,” he said.

He reminded members of the media to uphold their credibility amid the issues hounding the media industry.

“Credibility should always be intact because this reflects our image to the people,” Basbano said.

According to him, the KBP would help the broadcasters in question in case they would be wrongfully accused.

On Tuesday, television news anchor Erwin Tulfo and radio broadcaster  Carmelo del Prado Magdurulang, were alleged as among the beneficiaries of the diversion of congressional allocations from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) coursed through state-owned National Agribusiness Corporation  (Nabcor) and subsequently to ghost projects of bogus foundations.

GMA Network on Wednesday said it is investigating allegations that  Del Prado, one of its radio anchors, had received payoffs from a state-owned corporation.
TV5 in a released statement said it would now investigate the matter though it stood by Tulfo’s denial that he also received payoffs.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it would investigate the alleged media payoffs, citing it would evaluate first the sworn statements of the Nabcor whistle-blowers.

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