This is not a good way to waste gas and toll. The event I attended in the morning was useless. I was 2 hrs late but it was ok since it wasn’t relevant to me. I was just hoping there was a senior executive around but nope, it was purely a marketing event.

The afternoon conference was so-so. At least I got to exchange cards with a few CEOs and had one quick interview with a government official who I used to cover closely 16-17 years ago when he used to be a CEO. The story was thin but I’m desperate. Thank God for the email interviews I did (I was very persistent) so these helped me shore up my numbers.

Then it rained. I guess I won’t be going home early tonight.

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The government—DILG to be exact—yesterday cancelled classes for today. I doubt if Remulla consulted PAGASA or even NDRRMC before declaring it. The annoucement was made “cute” to appeal to Gen As (ugh!).

No rain. No wind today. Wasted a perfectly fine school day.

Based on this Himawari satellite image, tomorrow may not be that rainy so I can risk driving to BGC to attend two events.

But should I stay or should I go?

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I’ve been holding back on writing about this since so many of my colleagues in the industry have been posting about this on social media. I didn’t want to write it down because it makes my brain bleed. As I posted on FB:

As a journalist, you must ask the most obvious question. If you didn’t and just swept it under the rug, you are not doing your job. Or you have an agenda, which may not be noble.

Fluff piece? Yes. What’s your agenda?

Vico Sotto, the incorruptible, young mayor of Pasig, has attacked celebrity broadcasters Korina Sanchez and Julius Babao for allegedly practicing “envelopmental journalism” by featuring the Discaya couple, whose questionable wealth was featured in both of their magazine programs right after they filed for candidacy last year. They were DPWH contractors whose flood control projects were a total waste of public funds. Both shows were “lifestyle” shows that flouted the lifestyle of the rich.

The couple admitted in Julius’ show that they started to get rich when they became government contractors.

As a journalist, I would have raised hundreds of red flags right there and then. But no, Julius didn’t.

Korina didn’t.

Both of them swept it under the rug.

If I were in their shoes, I wouldn’t have accepted that interview, especially when everyone knows about the Discaya couple’s reputation and also the timing of the interview (right before the elections). Just the same I refused to write about Maharlika Investment Corp, the sovereign wealth fund that was formed by Sandro Marcos, Bong-bong’s son, and his uncle, Martin Romualdez. You know, sovereign wealth funds and Marcoses do not really spell “trustworthy”. Ever.

They said Karen Davila turned down the “opportunity” to interview the Discayas.

As a journalist, even if you are doing soft features, you still have the news judgment of whether the subject is worth featuring, even if it would just be a fluff piece. What would be the news value of such piece? You have to ask the questions, “Am I going to be an instrument of corruption and perpetuation of lies? Am I going to hurt the public?”

Korina Sanchez’s show, Balitang K, sent a press release to Philippine Star in an attempt to discredit Vico’s claim. The badly written statement inadvertently admitted that there was a “fee” for features. They later asked Philstar to take down the statement and sent a new one for publication.

Then they quietly took the interview off the internet. This does not do them any favors.

Then Korina threatened to sue Vico for cyber libel.

One of my bffs asked me if it’s true that Korina and Julius are corrupt. I told her, I don’t have evidence but I wouldn’t be surprised. I’ve heard whispers. I told her, only a few are clean in our industry. I told her, I know which columnists are worth PHP 50,000 per column (this was 10 years ago; I don’t know how much is the going rate now). I know how much is the budget for killing a story or an issue. I know who is asking for condo units or free phone bills or whatnot.

Media corruption is cancer killing our industry that is on its last legs.

Now, I told my bff, I’m on Vico’s side BUT there is a better way of doing this expose that he should have employed so that any libel case against him would not prosper. I took a semester of media ethics and media law in grad school so I would know how to cover our (me as journo and editor) asses. Vico was a bit careless in his statement, which gave Korina’s cyber libel threat legs to stand on. I’m on the fence if I should write down here the merits of the case, if ever she files a case, and the possible defense that Vico can use.

If I detail it here, I would be doing a disservice to my profession since this cyber libel will be a precedent and be used to torture every innocent and responsible journo in this country. It’s a tricky slope.

If Korina has brains, she would not pursue this case. The court of people has already nailed her to the wall as guilty and she would lose either way in the eyes of the public. She has nothing to gain. Vico will be vindicated either way. If I were Korina, she should take the road her husband, Mar Roxas, took after he was constantly vilified by the public, especially after his disastrous run against Duterte in the 2016 presidential elections. She should just keep quiet and let the issue die down. Like it or not, the news cycle in the Philippines is only two weeks and after that a new issue would crop up and this Discaya-Korina-Julius issue will naturally die on its own.

There, I said it. It made my brain bleed.

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I got sick a few days ago and I’m still feeling under the weather. I guess it could have been worse if I haven’t had my flu shot.

Prior to getting sick, I went to the Pet Expo with my sis-in-law last Friday. My bro’s family has two dogs and a cat so she’s also hoping to get discounted pet supplies and some freebies.

I availed the buy 1, get 1 promos for cat food and cleaners. I regret not having a trolley to carry cat litter, which were being sold at wholesale prices.

I also got freebies, which I’m afraid would further make my cats picky with their kibbles. Petmarra is so decadent that I’m using it as a treat instead of regular dry food.

I was also able to get an interview. 🙌 Wohooo!

We’re also being watched from above because we didn’t get stranded from the horrific traffic jam on Skyway (collision) on the way there. We were redirected instead to take C5 and told to take a u-turn and drive to East road then to Villamor, then NAIAX. We were also spared from the horrendous flooding that inundated motorists that day.

I really, really need to save up for the mods I will make on my car (17″ tires, mags, and new suspensions) to lift my car after the warranty expires. Sedans are not made for Metro Manila floods that’s why I got an MPV instead.

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Can’t go diving. Twin I is down with flu while Twin A has colds but is up and about. Diving is not meant to be.

I wasn’t productive today. I just slept. I think I have a problem; the ghosting andd rejections are getting to me.

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I was about to buy bed sheets for my daughters and on my way to the SM department store, I saw these Christmas trees. Come on, SM! This is too early! I’m not yet prepared for Christmas! My mind thinks it is still May. I have yet to hit my targets at work.

Speaking of targets, my very low yield this month forced me at the last minute to drive to Makati to attend an event and hopefully get a story.

I hate it that my batting average is only 1/10. It’s either I’ve been ghosted by people who initially were open for interviews or I was outright rejected. And it stings, even after 20+ years of doing this.

I really must find events outside of the Philippines to attend, even though I’m tired of flying out of the country every month.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is a holiday but Friday is sandwiched. Then Monday is another holiday so I could have had a 5-day weekend. I didn’t book a resort in Anilao because I thought the rains would be coming back. But I am wrong. Very wrong.

Hopefully I would be able to book something tomorrow. I’m just too tired tonight.