By Cong B. Corrales
Editor-in-Chief
THE oldest press club of the Philippines, Cagayan de Oro Press Club, Inc. condemned House of good government and public accountability chairman Michael Aglipay for kicking out Rappler reporter Rambo Talabong from its Viber group.
“The act is a callous attempt to muzzle the press, trying to put out to the trash bin the right of the people to information during this crucial period,” Dr. Manuel Jaudian, the club’s president, said.
The Viber group has been created for journalists covering the Duterte administration’s spending for its pandemic response.
“We find it deplorable for a party-list representative to head what appears to be a white-washing of this administration’s opaque dealing with Pharmally,” the press club’s statement reads.
Talabong has been singled out after he wrote a story and quoted Aglipay asking if anyone died from expired face shields.
“What is Aglipay afraid about? As the fourth estate, we need to know. The people who voted this lame excuse of a legislator need to know,” the oldest press club in the country said.
The press club is equally astounded by the representative’s asinine move.
“We would like to remind the honorable representative of his duty to protect the interests of our Republic and not to represent his political master patently exhibited during his ‘moro-moro’ hearing,” Jaudian said.
