Andanar warns fumbling editors at state-run news agency

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

Give a satisfactory explanation, or “I will assign [you] to Jolo and Basilan,” warned an irked Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Saturday to the editors of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) after a succession of errors at the government news website.

The PNA has been the target of social media bashing for reposting a Xinhua News Agency opinion piece that dismissed as “ill-founded” the arbitral tribunal ruling that favored the Philippines in its territorial claims over the West Philippine Sea, and for using the logo of the Dole Food Company with a Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) story on holiday pay guidelines.

Although Andanar did not identify them when he spoke to Baguio reporters, he said two editors — whom he described as “gunggong” (idiots) — were responsible for the blunders.

“Sunod-sunod ang kapalpakan (The mistakes just keep coming),” he said. —Karlston Lapniten