Capitol reporters challenge Magpale

CEBU, Philippines - Capitol reporters challenged Acting Governor Agnes Magpale to reveal the “list” of names of reporters allegedly receiving salaries from suspended governor’s Gwen Garcia’s administration.

 â€œI challenge her, why not reveal the names now ug ngano paabton pa og dugay if they have the sufficient documents, evidence or proof,” said Gregg Rubio, president of the Capitol Association of Reporters in Trimedia (CART). (What’s taking them so long to reveal the list if they really have proof?)

 â€œI can assure nga wala’y reporter apil sa payroll ug naa man gani they are not members of CART ug insulto kaayo kay unsa man diay mi dinhi bayranan lang,” Rubio added. (I can assure that no reporter is in the payroll and if there are, they are not members of the CART. They are insulting us.)

 Rubio has been a Capitol reporter since 1998 during the time of former vice governors Fernando “Nanding” Celeste, John Gregory “John-john” Osmeña and Gregorio Sanchez.

 Rubio, in an interview, said that maybe the reporters being tagged as included in the payroll are blocktimers or reporters having consultancy contracts with the Province of Cebu who are holding radio programs.

 Rubio also concluded that the issue was triggered when radio commentators and columnists kept on saying that Capitol reporters were included in the payroll.

 For her part, Garcia said that it is a big insult for the part of the Capitol beat reporters and the Cebu media in general to be questioned on their loyalty.

  “Yung ibinibintang nila sa inyo na kayo’y on the take from the Capitol is one of the worst lies and insults they could have hurled at Cebu media, not just to the Capitol reporters, but all Cebu media,” Garcia said.

 â€œKawawa nga yung mga editors kasi sinali pa na nakatanggap raw ng P60,000 na mas malaki pa sa sweldo ko and it’s a big insult to Cebu media not only to the Capitol reporters because you are known to be amongst the most known independent, maybe not always fair but independent,” Garcia said.

 In a TV interview report, Magpale denied that a loyalty check was done.

 Magpale confirmed that they got hold of a list of members of the media that are paid by the Capitol but clarified that it does not mean that they believe the list.

 But Rubio said that if there is really a list, it would be best if this is shown to the public so that the other reporters who are merely doing their jobs would be cleared.

  “Magpale personally told me nga klaro kaayo nga naa daw ko sa pikas (suspended gov. Garcia), so she is drawing a line to the Capitol reporters which is really unfair,” Rubio said.

 Rubio said that in the presence of other Capitol reporters, Magpale said that there were twisted stories. But when Rubio asked what story, Magpale could not recall anymore.

“Naa ma’y mga editors motan-aw sa among mga write-ups para ma-check if balance ba gyod ang among report,” Rubio said.  (There are editors who check if our reports are balanced.)

— (FREEMAN)