GRPundit

The collective stupidity of Filipino politicians seems to be nearing a point where they may all inadvertently kill the very goose that has been laying their golden eggs for the last half century. One thing that the trial of the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona might actually achieve is to whip all these bozos into a skirt-lifting frenzy that will ultimately result in every one of them revealing the wide array of colours of undergarments they wear to the public. This impeachment trial and the tactics of the prosecution can potentially disrupt a kind of détente amongst Filipino politicians; one that was underpinned by a tacit acknowledgement that any attempt to dig up dirt on the other will simply raise the spectre of a "hidden wealth armageddon" wherein the ensuing tit-for-tat unearthing of one another's treasure chests and skeletons-in-closets will assure the destruction of the veil that cloaks their collective parasitical hold on Philippine societ...

In recent weeks we've seen jargon like "social news network", "online journalist", "citizen journalists", and "crowdsourcing" coming into the quaint lingo of some "media practitioners" (hey, there's another one!). None of these are clearly defined in the context of the practice of journalism and, more importantly, none of these have added any significant clarity to the "debate" around the role of these media people in our overall journey towards becoming a more just society. For me it is quite simple. There are only three operational classes that describe how an information channel can operate: (1) Provide information (2) Seek to influence (3) Peddle influence News reporters do Item 1, columnists do Item 2, and publicists do Item 3. A "media practitioner" or channel can be one or a combination of the above three. How much more complicated can it be? The thing I find quite amusing about people like Maria Ressa...

Impeachment being denominated "political" does not mean that the role of media during such trials is–to Hofilena–to "enrage them or inspire them" for partisan ends. Impeachment is "political," because the accusers come from a body of politicians–elective representatives of the qualified electors in their respective districts–and the accused is a public officer charged with having abused or violated the public trust; hence, the penalty for the convicted officer handed down by another assembly of politicians, the Senate, is removal from an office of public trust and perpetual disqualification from holding public office thereafter. But even though the accusers and the judges are politicians and the trial itself is dubbed as "political"; the Senate Rules of Procedure on Impeachments (2011) clearly provide otherwise, since Senators–in their role as judges–are required to solemnly swear to or affirm that each one of them "will do impartial just...

Philippine "journalists" will never be taken seriously by people who actually think. 3 strikes already proved it: 1. Manila Peninsula "Media Kami!" fiasco ("journalists" openly siding with criminals). 2. Quirino Tour Bus foul-up ("journalists" ensuring that they had right-of-way, not the police). 3. This whole piss-wad impeachment "trial". It's more of a pillory now with the way the "journalists" cover it. "Journalists" are no different from pimps: they're more than willing to whore out the innocent facts to people willing to be taken for a ride, at the right price. ABS-CBN, the Inquirer, Philstar, and GMA already proved that – profit above all, no questions asked. ------------ Comment on Get Real Post at http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/01/medias-role-in-philippine-society-undermines-rather-than-strengthens-the-process-of-seeking-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-21298