Probe Team airs side on show’s sacking

The Probe Team is "professional" and its integrity beyond reproach, Probe Productions president Cheche Lazaro said yesterday.

"The journalistic standards of ‘The Probe Team’ have never been compromised nor have they ever been second, then or now, to GMA-7’s own," Lazaro said.

In a statement, Lazaro said her team and GMA-7 are parting ways "with the knowledge that we served the public good without sacrificing our integrity for 16 years."

Lazaro was reacting to a GMA-7 statement released Monday announcing an end to its partnership with "The Probe Team," citing differences in standards and the team’s accusation of censorship against the television station.

The feud started when the Sept. 16 episode of "The Probe Team" was not aired by the television station due to alleged lack of documentation.

"We maintain that we had the documents he (Atty. Felipe Gozon) wanted from the very start, and that the final version aired on Sept. 23 did not need to turn to additional documents," Lazaro said.

She said that it was "unfortunate" that the Monday press statement of GMA-7 "makes its case at the expense of the reputation of ‘The Probe Team.’"

Lazaro said she and her staff did not want to leave the impression that they had lost their "respect" for Gozon as "a person and the head of GMA-7."

She said, "None of our actions was meant to be a personal affront to it at any time."