Flag ceremony delayed by interviews

This has reference to the published news in the Philippine STAR written by Pete Laude and Jerry Botial dated Dec. 1, 2011 entitled “Bonifacio declared ‘son of Caloocan.’”

Aside from the erroneous sequence of events written, my main objective in writing this letter is to rectify a report when they made a statement of fact stating that “the ceremony was delayed for about an hour as people waited for Echiverri, who came at around 8 a.m.”

As per our consultative meeting on Nov. 23, Wednesday, with the National Historical Commission headed by Director Ludovico Badoy, it was directed that programs for Bonifacio’s 148th Birth anniversary shall start at 8 a.m. The Mayor was there on time for the flag raising ceremony which is to start at 8 a.m. He succumbed to requests by some media groups for interviews prompting the ceremony to start a few minutes after 8. He was there to faithfully and completely discharge his functions as one of the main public figures in the Bonifacio Day celebration ceremonies.

I strongly believe that the responsible persons behind the story must at least do some apologies to Mayor Echiverri in making such false published reports. They should, as a matter of fair and just reporting, observe some degree of prudence and verification before releasing their story because this tends to put a person in bad light or bring him to ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt.

I hope and expect that the publisher and/or the editor-in-chief of this highly respected and credible newspaper to enforce disciplinary actions upon the persons involved if only to prove and embody your advocacy of balanced, fair and true reporting.

Thank you very much and more power.