STATEMENT OF THE FILIPINO FREELANCE JOURNALISTS’ GUILD ON SEN. RODANTE MARCOLETA’S ‘BAYARAN’ REMARK
The Filipino Freelance Journalists’ Guild condemns Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s reckless accusation that journalists are “bayaran” or paid hacks during Thursday’s Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the flood control scandal.
He named no one. He proved nothing. He smeared the whole profession in one sweeping statement.
This is not criticism but a smear meant to make the public stop trusting reporters at the exact moment reporters are exposing corruption. When public trust declines, the safety of journalists erodes as the media gets its primary protection from the community.
We, Filipino freelance journalists, stand in solidarity with the Senate Media and our fellow media workers across the nation. When journalists are vilified for their work, freelancers most often take the worst of it. No newsroom, no legal team, and in many instances, no editor to call when the threats start. Nonetheless, freelance journalists work ethically in reporting the truth with accuracy and objectivity.
The media does not, and should not, work for senators or any political interest. It works for the public, from whom the media gets protection. Calling reporters partisan only buries the real story: the corruption, incompetence, and failed leadership that these hearings are meant to expose.
If Marcoleta has no proof for his accusations, he should stop making blanket accusations and apologize properly. His “I didn’t mean it” was not an apology but a sore attempt to save face.
We join our fellow journalists in pushing back. We will continue to tell the truth, whether Marcoleta—or any politician who seeks to intimidate the press—likes it or not.