Manila: A private TV network, known as defender of President Benigno Aquino, defended former Vice-President Noli de Castro, a main anchor, following a tirade by the president against alleged media bias, a local paper said.
“Our journalists and anchors, including Noli de Castro, report the news as they see it. They enjoy editorial independence in their coverage, and in the way they tell stories. The credibility of our news organisation rests on this, as well as other basic journalistic principles,” Ging Reyes, ABS-CBN News chief, told the Inquirer.
An in-house ombudsman investigates complaints against ABS CBN’ news reports and its personnel, said Reyes, adding, “We have internal mechanisms that address such complaints from viewers [including the president’s].”
Aquino’s criticism of news handling at the ABS CBN also belied observers’ allegations, Reyes said, adding, “It shows that we are not biased towards this administration as most of our critics claimed.”
Sources said that Aquino’s complaint would be elevated to the TV network’s ombudsman.
During the 25th anniversary of ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol at Manila Hotel on Friday, Aquino virtually accused De Castro of “baseless speculations”.
Aquino even cited several cases of de Castro’s alleged “baseless speculations”
Presidential Communications Operations Office head Ricky Carandang, formerly with ABS-CBN News, said that Aquino’s tirade was against de Castro, not at ABS CBN.
De Castro, TV patrol’s anchor, did not comment.
In the same event, Aquino reiterated his common complaint that he has “inherited” many problems from the former administration of Gloria Arroyo.
Reiterating Aquino’s complaint, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said, “We are only asking you [the media] to give equal attention to good news because we also have good news that we should report.”
