Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano speaks out on the media’s role as watchdog in the cebu Newscoop annual general assembly. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
The media remain catalysts of social change because they shape public opinion on a variety of issues, Senate majority floor leader Allan Peter Cayetano said yesterday.
“Despite the weaknesses, despite the problems, if you remove the media, the whole Philippines will be corrupted,” he said in a speech before yesterday’s 17th annual general assembly of the Cebu NewsWorkers Multipurpose Cooperative or Newscoop,
Cayetano said had it not been for the media, corruption, including the abuse of the congressional pork barrel, would be even worse.
“If there was no media in the Philippines, not only would we have many Napoleses. (Janet) Napoles would be president. That is the reality,” he said in jest.
Cayetano said corruption is a reality in the Philippines but the small fry who steal for food or medicine for their families lies land in jail.
“But if you steal big, you can become mayor. If you steal bigger, you can become a congressman. You steal five or 10 times bigger than a congressman you can become a senator. You master how to become a senator and master every possible way to earn a profit and you can become a president. It’s both funny and tragic at the same time,” Cayetano said.
The senator said the role of the media as the Fourth Estate is to reveal and expose corruption and “when you reveal and expose that includes the good and the bad.”
“As the media don’t underestimate yourself. Who knew that because of (traditional) media and social media that the pork barrel is gone? The media can help shape opinions,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said when an issue is discussed in the media, government officials and the community react.
“In any aspect of governance, elections, policy, economics, the media plays a big role. Your opinions and your reports aren’t always right. But what is important is that there are reports. Because when you report something even when it is not totally accurate or not totally wrong, we respond, the community responds, the people respond. We engage,” the senator said.
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