Marcoleta apologizes for calling media ‘paid hacks’: ‘I didn’t mean it’

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Rodante Marcoleta on Thursday apologized to members of the media after referring to them as “paid hacks,” saying he did not intend to make the remark.

“I apologize for the way I spoke. I did not mean it,” Marcoleta said in Filipino during a press briefing.

READ: Senate media slams Marcoleta’s ‘dangerous’ attack on press

He said the remark stemmed from frustration over developments he had observed.

“This is because of my frustration over what happened and what I see happening,” he said in Filipino.

Marcoleta said he was referring to what he described as delays in the investigation into flood control projects and the failure of media outlets that covered Iglesia ni Cristo’s “National Rally for Peace” in January 2025 to mention him.

He said two newspaper reports written by a total of 11 reporters failed to identify him as one of the four speakers during the rally.

“I spoke for about 45 minutes in that rally,” he said in Filipino.

“When the Philippine Star reported on that incident, eight reporters worked on a single report. On the other hand, three reporters from the Philippine Daily Inquirer worked together on the same story. So 11 reporters heard it, yet my name was not even mentioned,” he added.

“How come 11 reporters did not see me or hear me as though I did not exist?” he asked.

The Senate media earlier described Marcoleta’s remark that reporters were “paid hacks” as “irresponsible” and a “reckless attack.”

The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) also flagged the senator’s statement, saying that “sweeping statements threaten media credibility and expose them to potential harm.”

READ: PTFOMS to Marcoleta: Prove ‘bayaran’ claim or retract, apologize

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) also condemned Marcoleta’s statements, saying his “tirades are clear attempts to undermine the public’s trust in the media” amid coverage of the intensifying rift between two political camps.

“Journalists ferret out the truth and convey it to the public. This includes asking questions to whoever needs to be held accountable. Our colleagues in the Senate have been doing exactly what they ought to do,” the NUJP said.

The group said portraying the media as partisan only distracts the public from issues that should be brought to light.

“Allegations of corruption hurled against either side must be investigated fully. Journalism’s loyalty is to the people, not to any partisan group with vested interests,” it said.

Sen. JV Ejercito likewise came to the defense of journalists covering the Senate.

“It’s sad to accuse the mainstream media of being paid,” Ejercito said in Filipino.

“During my time in the Senate, I will ensure that reporters and mainstream media assigned to the Senate are not paid,” he added. /mcm /dm