Free expression is a guaranteed right in our Constitution because that is the essence of democracy. It is not however absolute because its exercise comes with corresponding responsibility. When one exercises this Constitutional right he or she must make sure that what he or she expresses is true and based on factual evidence especially if its exercise will destroy or damage the person or reputation of another person. In most cases however this right has been viewed in this country as absolute and thus again the broadcast and written media channels are filled with attacks, bitterness, dirty words, accusations, and curses aimed at putting down the personal, professional and political lives of people.
We think that brickbats and fowl language can only be heard spoken or written during election campaigns. We think that after elections the so called “honeymoon” stage of at least a year is observed to give winning politicians the time to organize, set goals and objectives and develop plans, programs and activities in pursuit of those goals. In my salad days that used to be observed by all and not just by media people. Even during the election campaign period, politicians and their supporters respect each other. Today it is utterly different. Respect for each other is lost during the campaign, which could be understandable under worst circumstances, and after elections when winners have been declared and have taken to their posts. Take the example of Bohol and the media outlets based in Tagbilaran City. Day in and day out, the audiences are fed with foul language and words of disrespect especially during prime time broadcast. No we are not speaking of just politicians anymore. We are speaking of people using the media to malign and attack other people. If words can kill, we will have murder victims every day.
The airlanes are becoming unhealthy for our children. The KBP must come in to discipline its accredited media people who violate their code of ethics. Broadcast stations must be prohibited from allowing non-KBP members to go on board without a full-fledge KBP member. Post election is not an extension of election campaign so political barkers must cease from functioning as one during this time. That is what happens when political barkers are taken in as development communicators after election. By orientation and training political barkers are not development communicators. There should be no mix up. That is what happens when civil service employees whose only qualification is their dogged loyalty and their ambition to be heard over the airlanes are fielded to act as development communicators when in fact they are really just hacks. When the sailing gets rough they will forget about the format of the radio program they anchor and what it is all about. In the end they turn out to be like, or worse, than the people they are trying to put down. We call on the Bohol Tri-Media Association to exercise their “police” power. Our broadcast industry in Bohol is teaching bad citizenship to the young Boholanos. NOTES. Today as in the past, will be zero crime day. That's because Manny Pacquiao will take on Antonio Margarito for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight belt at the Texas Cowboy Stadium in Dallas. Who are you betting for? I'm no gambler so I want Manny to win.
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