On ‘Operation Lollipop’

Operation Lollipop" was the sardonic file name used by the District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU) of the Philippine National Police in Camp Karingal, Quezon City, to describe their raid of Alta Theater in Cubao, Quezon City, on Feb. 19. The gay patrons were rounded up, the cameras of Channel 2 zoomed in, and three times that day, the station went to town with reports about the gay men’s "immoral acts." Magandang Umaga, Bayan was especially virulent. In a tone too vitriolic and in language too vituperative, host Erwin Tulfo said what these gay men do inside the theaters is "shameful." Instead of going to movie houses, his learned commentary continued, these gay men should concentrate on "paggugupit ng buhok sa beauty parlors."

The sensational and tabloid manner with which Channel 2 handled the raid drew widespread and angry protests not only in the country but abroad. Letters were written to newsfeedback@abs-cbn.com, which were never answered, much less acknowledged. Two major newspapers reported about the gay bashing, but Channel 2 – true to the arrogant manner of Goliath – ignored everything. Only when my column came out did Channel 2 finally, grudgingly, answered last April 8, or almost two months after the ghastly incident. The letter came from Maloli Espinosa-Manalastas, vice president for government and corporate affairs and public relations of Channel 2.

In the spirit of journalistic fairness, I am reprinting her letter in full, with [sic] for lapses in grammar and spelling. And then I will take it apart, as an exercise in deconstruction.

"This is in reference to your column entitled ‘Gay Bashing in the Media’ that came out last March 31, 2003. Several statements have been [sic] made that may [sic] have misled your readers, and it is in this light that we would like to make clarifications on the following:

"The raid was conducted by members of the Central Police District of the Philippine National Police (CPD-PNP) on the Alta Theater in Cubao, Quezon City last February 19, 2003, wherein 63 people were apprehended for ‘verification’ and five were arrested and detained at Camp Karingal. These apprehensions were not instigated in any way by ABS-CBN reporter J.V. Villar. We would also like to clarify that reporter Karen Padilla was in no way involved in the incident.

"Prior to the raid, a complaint was referred to Villar regarding the activities that were reportedly going on at the theater. This was forwarded to the CPD-PNP which had received a similar complaint in the past. After the CPD-PNP decision to mount an operation, Villar then accompanied the authorities and covered the raid as a legitimate news story.

"ABS-CBN maintains that the Alta Theater was not singled out because of the kind of patrons who frequent the cinema. It is normal procedure for ABS-CBN reporters to forward complaints of any kind to the authorities, who analyze the information and take the necessary action. As for the news report on the raid, the same was straight-forward [sic] and factual, without any bias or prejudice. ABS-CBN has the obligation to report news-worthy [sic] events, regardless of the personalities involved. In addition, contrary to allegations, it is important to note that at no time did Villar of any member of his crew provoke, harass or embarrass any of the patrons of the theater who were caught in the raid. Finally, ABS-CBN reported all the news-worthy [sic] facts that came to its attention during the raid. Thus, any complaints or allegations regarding matters that may [sic] have occurred when the ABS-CBN news team was not around cannot be expected to be included in the news report.

"We trust that you will publish our side to [sic] the events that led to the raid in the interest of providing your readers with the other side of the story."

That being said, let us start with the language exercise.

First, nowhere in my column did I say that the apprehension of the 63 men were instigated by Mr. J.V. Villar, their reporter – he of the dyed hair and the thick foundation. In my column I said that Mr. Villar instigated the raid.

Let me back that up by quoting Police Blotter Entry No. 03-12, 0661-0666 at the Central Police District, Camp Karingal, Quezon City. The police blotter states: "It appears that at about 7:30 P.M., February 19, 2003, J.V. Villar of ABS-CBN with other [sic] companion appeared before this unit and reported the existence of indecent acts being committed at Alta Theater located along Aurora Blvd., Cubao, this city. Hence, herein office together with J.V. Villar conducted a raid at about 8:15 P.M. that resulted to [sic] the arrest of the following persons, who were caught while in the act of committing immoral acts inside Alta Theater."

So who is telling the truth now? Let me remind Ms. Manalastas and Mr. Villar that a police blotter is an official government document and any statement to the contrary – especially when sworn to in court – is tantamount to perjury.

Second, Mr. Jonas Bagas, the secretary-general of the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network (LAGABLAB), himself went to Camp Karingal last March 1 and interviewed SPO1 Danilo Tan, the investigator of the DPIU that conducted the raid. SPO1 Tan confirmed that it was reporter J.V. Villar who informed them about the "existence of indecent acts" inside the theater. How the pasty-faced Villar came to know about this, only the willows know. So forthwith, SPO1 Tan said he organized the raiding team, along with operatives SPO1 Carlito Mangaoang, PO2 Noel Ponsica, PO2 Pedrito Miranda, PO2 Romualdo Cruda, PO2 Rolando Azuria, PO1 Jeremias Allingayu and several assistants, under the overall direction of Chief Ruben Jaranza.

Third, we all know that there is nothing like complete objectivity in news reporting. A freshman in Journalism class knows that. The camera angles, the tone of questioning, the very words used in the report – all these impinge on the report, thereby shattering all notions of so-called objectivity. Be that as it may, what galled the lesbian and gay community is the way news has been turned into entertainment by the country’s biggest TV station. You may call it infotainment, or information plus entertainment, but news is news is news. The factuality of news should be separated from the editorial slant of commentary. Wit, after all, is not the province of the ill-informed.

Your segments did not pixelize the faces of the gay patrons caught in the raid. Microphones were shoved in front of them, after the police cursed, slapped and hit them, leaving one patron who had a history of asthma bleeding. Their wallets were opened; paper bills changed hands. When one of the hosts of Magandang Umaga, Bayan, commented on the obvious maltreatment of the theater patrons, Mr. Tulfo said that indecent homosexuals should receive this kind of treatment.

I don’t understand why you foist people like Mr. Tulfo on the country. Before him, you foisted on us Noli de Castro, and look where he is now. Your station has twinned show business and politics into one fatal embrace. You dress up people of middling talents in suits or crisp shirts, give shows that portray them as authoritative, inquisitorial, and fearless. In short, you pick up stray cats and turn them into lions. But in my book, they are mere gargoyles: The grimace on their frozen faces say it all.

Fourth, you say that Channel 2 does not provoke, harass, or embarrass people. You affirm the history of solid journalism that you claim your station has. But this is not the first time your station has bashed gay men. Let me quote my column that came out in the old Manila Times in June 1998.

"Last May 1998 the crew of The Inside Story swooped down like crows in the darkness of Quezon City Memorial Circle and shot four gay men. Since some of these young men didn’t conform to the stereotype of makeup-wearing gay men, they were jailed and accused of being call boys. One of these men was working for Channel 2’s rival, Channel 7. Aha! For somebody from Channel 2, that must have been the ultimate scoop.

"Forthwith, Channel 2 took shots of the men behind bars, the cold gaze of their cameras turning the gay men into objects of scrutiny. Like animals in the zoo, if you will. The men were jailed for six hours until saner people intervened and they were released. These gay men were not out, and the violation of their privacy just drove them deeper into the closet. How to burnish now their reputation – behind bars for all the country to see? How to restore their self-esteem? Did the network apologize for the mistake?

"And during the 2nd Lesbian and Gay Pride March party at Remedios Circle, the Channel 2 cameras were shooting people without permission. Later, the Queers ’R Us of Blue Café were having a love drag fashion show when one cameraman simply jumped onstage and began shooting. He even parted the legs of the gay man so he could shoot something else. "Stop that!" I snapped at the Channel 2 reporter, who nervously told her cameraman named Joel to quit. Yes, this is the way they get those shots fit only for tabloids. Later the next morning, Channel 2 went to town with pictures of gay men in drag, with this one liner beneath: ‘Do you want your sons to end up like these?’ This is not world-class television. It is not even in the service of the Filipino."

Why, now, has Channel 2 finally addressed the issue?

Simply because they cannot ignore the strong protest anymore – and its bad economic fallout. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company quietly pulled out its homophobic "Billy" advertisement in 2001 when we staged a widespread protest against it. In a similar vein, the protests have gone beyond the gay and lesbian community in the Philippines. The Commission on Human Rights have jumped into the picture, along with the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the Institute of Human Rights of the UP College of Law, Amnesty International and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

The KBP has a formal process that entertains complaints and violations of their Code of Ethics. LAGABLAB and The Library Foundation have listed the specific provisions that Channel 2 violated – and an investigation will soon start rolling. If proven guilty, ABS-CBN could be fined from P7,000 to P10,000, which is a small amount, something the megaphone-voiced Tulfo earns from Channel 2 in one day. Yes, it is a pittance, but the damaging sanction lies on the tax cuts on imported materials that Channel 2 will not get anymore. And this, as a little bird whispered to me, amounts to millions of pesos.

Moreover, Filipino gay men in the United States and Saudi Arabia are canceling their expensive subscriptions to The Filipino Channel (TFC), the satellite service of Channel 2. The protests have spread outside the Philippines, encouraged by e-mails and Internet bulletin boards. Chicago Free Press also reported about the boycotting of TFC on its issue last Thursday.

Victor Velasco, a Filipino who has lived in Chicago the last four years, said "The Filipino gay community here is very strong. I think there is a sense of community identity here. The issue is not about unsafe sex. That’s peripheral to what happened. We are still pursuing our programs about safe sex and at the same time advocating the rights of gays…. I expect to hear an apology from ABS-CBN and an apology from Tulfo on the air. Without these, I am encouraging my friends in Chicago to discontinue their subscription to TFC. I am not paying an expensive monthly fee expecting to get worthy news from my homeland – only to be insulted."

For a cash-strapped station whose owners have to pay billions of pesos to Meralco consumers, who see Bayantel and Maynilad sinking in the swamps of financial despair, that is not loose change anymore.

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Comments can be sent toDanton@admu.edu.ph