Senator Rodante Marcoleta drew criticism from Senate reporters, the National Press Club of the Philippines, and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security after accusing members of the media of being “bayaran” during a Senate proceeding on the alleged flood control scandal.
Sen. Marcoleta made the remark on Thursday, June 4, questioning the media’s coverage of the flood control controversy and asked why journalists supposedly failed to press other senators on the issue.
“Kayo pong mga participants sa media, na karamihan po sa inyo ay bayaran, sasabihin ko na sa inyo ito: Meron po bang nagsalita sa kanila?” Sen. Marcoleta said.
Members of the Senate media rejected the statement, calling it a reckless attack on the press and warning that unsupported accusations against journalists could damage public trust in legitimate news coverage.
In their statement, the Senate media said journalists do not serve politicians, political parties or rival blocs, but the public interest.
“The role of journalists is not to serve politicians… The Fourth Estate exists to serve the public interest. Its duty is to pursue facts, verify information, question those in power and report developments without fear or favor,” the group said.
The Senate media also stressed that criticism of a coverage is fair in a democracy, but said sweeping accusations against the press must be backed by evidence. It warned that Sen. Marcoleta’s remarks could contribute to hostility against journalists simply doing their work.
Meanwhile, the National Press Club also condemned Sen. Marcoleta’s statement, saying broad and insufficiently supported claims against journalists damage the image of the media profession and weaken the role of a free press.
NPC President Leonel “Boying” Abasola said thousands of journalists continue to work every day to deliver accurate, balanced and meaningful information to the public, often while facing risks to their safety.
“Ang mga pahayag mula sa mga halal na opisyal, lalo na sa loob ng isang opisyal na pagdinig ng Senado, ay may bigat at impluwensiya sa pananaw ng publiko,” the NPC said.
“Dahil dito, mahalagang maging responsable, makatotohanan, at patas ang mga ito upang hindi makalikha ng maling impresyon na maaaring magdulot ng higit pang pag-atake, paninira, o kawalan ng tiwala sa mga lehitimong institusyon ng media,” it added.
The NPC urged government officials to respect the media’s role as a source of public information and a watchdog of democracy, stressing that criticism should be based on facts and not on general accusations.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security also asked Sen. Marcoleta to substantiate his allegation or retract it and apologize, according to reports.
The issue came as the Senate remained divided over leadership and committee authority, including competing claims over proceedings related to alleged flood control anomalies.
Sen. Marcoleta later apologized for his “bayaran” remark after the Cayetano-led briefing at the Senate on the same day.