President Benigno Aquino III. SCREENGRAB from RTVM
President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday expressed dismay in the angling of news of Philippine media amid the devastation wrought by typhoon “Lando.”
READ: ‘Lando’ damage hits P9B; death toll now 46
Aquino, during a forum hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) at Solaire, complained of a broadsheet that emphasized that the government was unable to reach its zero casualty target.
READ: Pangulong Aquino, bibisita sa Aurora Province
He also mentioned a local reporter who alleged that relief goods in Casiguran, Aurora were seemingly held by authorities, instead of being distributed to the public. The reporter supposedly linked the incident to the fact that the President will be visiting the province the following day.
“At a time of challenge for many Filipinos it seems to be as the only interest of these media was to sensationalize, to highlight tragedy, to point out supposed failures and to make accusations,” Aquino said.
“What happens when we are inundated by negativism?” he added.
At the start of his speech, the President lauded Focap and its ability to produce balanced news.
Addressing the crowd, he later said, “Constructive criticism is a great help to us. Bring injustice to our attention…We will never suppress you.”
“My administration will work with you to correct these wrongs,” he said.
At the same time, however, Aquino pointed out that it “cannot be true” that nothing good has happened under his administration.
“I have met so many people who are embodiment of good news,” he said, mentioning the student beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program of the government.
Nevertheless, he said, “There is always room for improvement.”
He called on the media “to make room for the whole, truthful picture.” RAM