Former Cabinet secretary Silvestre “Bebot” H. Bello III paid tribute to valiant media men and women for performing excellently in the coverage of such disasters as super typhoons and floods in Luzon and the ongoing national and local elections “expected to gather steam and cause more adrenaline rush in the coming days.”
“The deluge that had engulfed Manila and parts of Luzon as a result of the super typhoons could have killed more people if media did not help spread the necessary warnings and get footages and send report on the spot about what was actually happening,” said Bello, who is the only Dabawenyo currently running for senator.
The capture by media of the horror, drama and enormity of the catastrophes that befell the country did not only forewarn and save lives of would-be victims, it also helped government agencies and the private sector assess the real situation in the field and be guided properly in their actions, he said.
He said the nonstop coverage also moved peoples and governments in faraway lands to come to the succor of suffering people by way of relief assistance, cash donations and even long-term rehabilitation funds.
“In the unfolding national elections, the mettle of Philippine media will once again be put to a test,” he said.
“You will be crucial in the selection of candidates and scrutiny of their qualifications; past behavior and possible hidden agenda; in encouraging more people to go out and vote; in seeing to it that people are allowed to vote on their own free will, and in guarding that their votes are counted.”
He said that the fourth estate, or the media establishment, is “a blessing and a source of pride of our country.”
0 Comments
Oldest