Resist Aquino, AFP's veiled threats against Philippine media--CPP*
CPP Information Bureau
April 9, 2011
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today said "by going all-out in blaming so-called negative coverage for their sagging popularity, Malacañang and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are sending veiled threats to journalists, reporters and other media practitioners."
For several days now, Malacañang officials have been blaming the media for the drop in Aquino's "popularity rating" in surveys conducted over the recent months. In these and other surveys, the AFP was also found to be regarded as the "most corrupt" government agency. Aquino lambasted the media for supposedly not reporting "positive news" even as the AFP denounced the media for the coverage of public hearings conducted in the Senate which exposed corruption by top military officials over the past several years.
"In playing the blame game, Aquino and the AFP both seek to impose on the media what they presuppose to be its role in the war of information they are waging to shape the consciousness and perceptions of the people," pointed out the CPP. "This anti-democratic frame of mind should be resisted and opposed as it poses a threat to the independence and critical role of the media."
"The socio-economic conditions of the Filipino people have worsened so drastically in the past months under the Aquino regime that survey results could not be further manipulated to cover up the sharp drop in Aquino's 'popularity rating'," said the CPP. "By blaming his unpopularity on the media, Aquino is revealing himself to be completely detached from the conditions of the people."
"The Aquino regime has raised toll rates and train fares, failed to control the prices of oil and other basic commodities, refused to remove or reduce taxes on oil products, blocked wages increases, reduced social spending and increased costs of social services," pointed out the CPP. "In carrying out these measures, Aquino is bound to isolate himself more and more from the people."
"In its desperation to justify its detrimental antipeople measures, Aquino has resorted to the wornout Arroyo PR line that his regime is not playing a popularity game and that it is determined to carry out even so-called unpopular decisions," said the CPP.
"If he continues to justify such measures, refuses to heed the people's economic and political demands and resorts to acts of military suppression, Aquino risks surpassing the unpopularity of Arroyo and other past reactionary rulers."
