The tragedy that confronts Ted Failon may be his darkest and saddest hour, but it may also be the greatest test that now faces the police, the media, as well as our society in recent memory. Judging from what has happened so far, many people have failed the test.
In any civilized society, the immediate response to the Failon tragedy would be an out-pouring of sympathy, prayers and support not only for Ted, but for his entire family particularly his daughters, one of whom is only 11 years old and not fully aware of the incident.
The sad truth is that people were more busy making speculations than saying a prayer. What kind of people spend time and money to express thoughts about Karma, who-done-it, or plain and simple wickedness while a family is drowning in pain and confusion? Are we so full of evil that we no longer see hurt?
Ted and I don’t qualify as “friends” but I know the sense of betrayal from people who constantly come to you to fight their battles, to champion their causes, or to promote their events. Ted has done that for many. In so doing he has made enemies for himself as well as for his loved ones.
But now that Ted is in the midst of great tragedy, many of those he fought for, cared for or helped are not around. Most of them did not even bother to say thank you. It is one thing to be cowardly against the strong and the powerful, but it is a greater cowardice to abandon and betray those who have fought your battles. The absolute worse is to wickedly condemn a man already suffering.
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In the media of a civilized society, the response would be to make very limited reports of FACTS on the matter as they are “officially” released as a matter of law to protect innocent children or until members of the immediate family have been officially informed. So far no such law or policy is in place because people in Congress as well as in government are such cowards and so ignorant about correlations of freedom of the Press, right to privacy, and the need to protect the rights of minors!
In a civilized society, radio programs would not play satirical songs as intro or background music. It would certainly be considered in bad taste and utterly unprofessional and insensitive to use the tragedy as the topic for people to text in their opinion. Unfortunately, we don’t have an independent body that actively regulates media as they do in civilized society. We simply have owners and interests using the KBP as their stamp pad.
Until facts have been officially determined, following formal and official procedures, no statements would be issued, no remarks or speculations made by the police or by news-readers or commentators. Even competing news agencies observe the protocol of respecting the inherent privacy demanded by tragic circumstance.
At the very least human beings practice common decency over and above commercial or professional interests, even above personal grudges or offense. Sadly, we fail in every measure or standard of what a civilized society is about.
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The scandalous manner by which the Failon tragedy has been handled would have sufficient form and substance to merit an investigation both by Congress and the National Police Commission.
Because of his job, his professional style and perhaps even his personal shortcomings, Ted Failon has managed to create enemies among the police. In fact a number of police officers within the NCRPO have been candid about their dislike for Ted because of his harsh criticisms, the latest of which concerned the EDSA rub-out incident.
However, it does not justify handling the Failon tragedy as if they were dealing with O.J. Simpson. Instead of seeing tragedy, certain cops saw opportunity. Opportunity to “perform” or “magpakitang gilas”, some saw an opportunity to get even and stab back at their tormentor, some simply showed their stupidity.
The immediate announcements about tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, allowing the public reading of a private letter that now makes it “tampered evidence” and other statements such as “baka tumakas” made by police officers certainly reminded and showed us how the police can actually bungle a case or ruin it by themselves.
Why can’t the police simply conduct the investigation without feeling compelled to make “initial statements” that can ultimately cause damage to the victims, or the case? Do police officials realize that their conduct of engaging the media is nothing less than being sensationalists who feed the fire?
I sincerely pray that PNP Chief Jesus Versoza conducts an impartial internal investigation of the events as well as request materials from the media during the first 24 hours of the Failon tragedy. More than a media blunder, the conduct and pronouncements of certain cops build up a case for reviewing the procedures to be followed in investigations big or small. It also establishes a need to declare Oplan Close your mouth!
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Sometime ago I received communications about how a tobacco company may be trying to circumvent the law against the advertising and promotion of cigarettes by launching a contrived Journalism awards program for agriculture. The alleged perpetrator was Philip Morris which is actively involved in the “Bright Leaf Journalism awards for agriculture”.
As explained to me, the tobacco company is doing this possibly as a way of getting around the sponsorship ban on cigarettes in sporting events. I sort of took it lightly but the “heads up” did make me notice how the managing director of Philip Morris manufacturing Inc. Mr. Chris Nelson has been getting featured in newspapers more than most CEOs in the Philippines.
Either he’s trying to beat the record of a former HSBC country manager or Nelson’s staff has found another way of reminding us about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. That’s the only explanation why a NON-Smoker would have his photographs taken with tobacco leaves, you think?