Network war in elections

The ongoing political battle among bitter rivals in the May 10 presidential elections have obviously seeped into the long-running network war between TV giants GMA Channel-7 and its radio station DzBB and ABS-CBN Channel 2 and sister radio station DzMM.

The extro or at the end of every TV and radio blurbs being dished out by GMA-7 and their radio station DzBB says it all: Walang kinikilingan, walang pino-protektahan, walang kandidatong pinapaboran.

But whether these are apparent digs or not at their rival network, ABS-CBN is criticized for their much perceived bias in favor of Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

True or not, this criticism against the Lopez-owned network giant is obviously attributed to the fact that the once sequestered TV/radio facility were returned to its owners during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino, the late mother of the LP presidential bet. Of course, this criticism is merely shrugged off, if not vehemently denied, by ABS-CBN people. TV host Kris Aquino, youngest sister of the LP presidential bet, has her programs aired at the same network.

We had last week former broadcaster-turned politician Jay Sonza, the vice presidential candidate of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), as the featured guest of The STAR in the last of our vice presidential forum series. Sonza was formerly connected with GMA-7 and Channel 2. And from his experience, Sonza admitted to us, such station bias or media owner’s bias is a reality we, as journalists, have to deal with, in our own terms.

Sonza worked for a while with ABS-CBN as one of the first batches of journalists hired when the TV station went back on air in 1986 under the Lopezes. However, this apparently did not earn him any kind of special privileges that other former TV network personalities who also worked under ABS-CBN got when they entered the world of Philippine politics.

It cannot be denied that the TV network have produced big names in politics, from Vice President Noli de Castro, Sen. Loren Legarda, to former Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla, former Leyte Rep. Ted Failon, Cainta Mayor Mon Ilagan, just to mention a few. 

Remulla and Ilagan used to be our fellow reporters who pounded the beat. At one time, we were together covering the Palace during the shortened term of former President Joseph Estrada. Remulla was still with the ABS-CBN news crew while Ilagan covered for DzMM. After ending his first term at the House, Remulla returned as senatorial candidate of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and concurrently serving as one of the spokespersons of NP presidential bet Sen. Manny Villar. Ilagan, on the other hand, is running for reelection almost as a sure winner.

There are three other former ABS-CBN journalists who are also candidates in the May 10 polls. They are DzMM news anchors Angelo Palmones as one of the nominees of AGHAM party-list and Neil Ocampo as mayoral bet in Marilao, Bulacan, and Catherine “Kata” Inocencio, senatorial bet of Bangon Pilipinas.

Vice President De Castro has opted to retire quietly from politics. Failon retired from politics much earlier after his first term in Congress and went back to his news anchor duties in both TV and radio. Legarda is up against Sonza and six other vice presidential candidates. She is the vice presidential running mate of Villar. But Sonza described himself as the only vice presidential candidate who can run under any, or all of the presidential candidates. After all, he helped oust the KBL presidential candidate, Vitaliano Acosta who was earlier disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

While they both worked for ABS-CBN, Sonza and Legarda could not help but air their gripe against their former mother station for unfair treatment. Sonza revealed during our forum that he was almost ignored and not invited in last month’s Harapan debate among the vice presidential candidates that was organized by Channel 2. Initially, he said, he was told that the eight vice presidential bets would be grouped into two separate debates that would be conducted one after the other.

However, he learned from Channel 2’s own promotional ads of the debate that only the front-running vice presidential candidates were slated to participate. These included LP vice presidential candidate Sen. Mar Roxas II, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, former Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando. Then later on, he noted, the promotional ad included the name of former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr., who is running for vice president under Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas Movement.

Sonza said he contacted the ABS-CBN organizers of the debate to inquire why he was not invited but he was given a runaround. He sought advice from the Comelec about this and also called up Yasay who happens to be a friend. It turned out that Yasay — a corporate lawyer — threatened to raise legal questions over ABS-CBN’s non-inclusion of him in the vice presidential debate.

Little did Sonza and Yasay know, another tail-ender in the vice presidential race, Dominador Chipeco Jr. was also not invited. Chipeco, running mate of Ang Kapatiran Party presidential bet JC Delos Reyes, later on complained before the Comelec that he was also allegedly not given by the ABS-CBN due courtesy as a vice presidential candidate.

After making so much fuss, both Sonza and Yasay were finally able to participate at the ABS-CBN vice presidential debate. Prior to Sonza, we had Chipeco as guest at The STAR vice presidential forum last week. Chipeco told us they have already forgiven the Lopez network.

We have completed our own presidential and vice presidential forum series, except for two candidates. They are independent presidential candidate Sen. Jamby Madrigal and actor and former Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano, running mate of Lakas-CMD-Kampi presidential bet ex-Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro. Madrigal twice postponed her participation and cited her being sick at one time. Manzano, kept invoking conflict of schedule on his campaign. By the way, Edu is also an ABS-CBN talent.